Trouble With Gehenna
by Vergil1989 the Crossover King
Summary: Funny thing about vampires, no one ever tells you that life gets far more interesting when you stop breathing. There might be a lot of upsides to being immortal, but it's not all that it's cracked up to be. Trapped in unlife until I get dusted, I figured I'd share my story, in the hopes others might survive these Final Nights. (1st POV, M for violence, language, gore, and more.)
1. Lesson Learned

**Author(s) Notes:** _Just so we're clear from the get go folks, I'm a recent, to use an in-game/in-lore term, 'Embraced' as far as this rather intriguing setting is concerned, so this won't be connected to Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines in regards to the story. This is still using the lore and maybe even some of the characters as you see them in game, but by and large this is its own story separate from what happened in Santa Monica and its surrounding areas. Most characters will be OC because of this, but there will be mentions regarding those that survived the end of the story, if not outright cameos of those characters that would realistically get around, like Smiling Jack to name one such example. But as a longtime fan of vampires, werewolves, and all those wonderful things that go bump in the night, and after recently discovering this game on Youtube thanks in no small part to Christopher Odd, I figured I'd throw my hat into the mix here on FF. So, enjoy folks!_

 _If I can think of a good fandom to cross this over with at a later date, I'll likely do so, but for now this is my only straight, non crossover story I have on my profile. At any rate, enjoy!_

 **Disclaimer** : _We own nothing regarding White Wolf's World of Darkness or any of its adaptations. This is purely a work of fanfiction with no monetary gain whatsoever. So, fun and mayhem of our own creation follows from here on out, we're just the lucky guys that get to play in their world, as many of you can no doubt attest to. D Enjoy!_

 _Also, any religious and/or political viewpoints, etc, are merely for the use of the story and do not in any way reflect those of our own. Any mention of real life movies, music, etc, are also claimed by their original owners._

 **Chapter 1: Lesson Learned**

Stop me if you've heard this line before. Let me tell you the story of how I _almost_ died. Sound familiar? Denzel Washington, playing the part of some hotshot New York City detective in a movie appropriately called Fallen, got in way over his head when he ran afoul of an entity well beyond his simple, human understanding. This entity, able to jump between people with a mere pass of the hand, would quickly tear his life apart before being outsmarted by the cop in question, only for it to get away in the end by the skin of its teeth. It makes for a good story, and even now I consider Fallen one of Denzel's better movies at this point in time.

Funny thing about fiction though, there's always a bit of truth hidden between the lines. I didn't understand that, until I ran afoul of something that changed my own concept of reality and turned it on its head. Unlike Denzel's detective though, there was no almost dying for me. Guess I should have listened to my mother and all those Sunday school stories she tried to cram down my throat, otherwise I probably wouldn't have woken up in the city morgue, minus a heartbeat.

Well, on the other hand, who would have thought that a little clubbing would cause a severe case of undeath? Let me back up a bit first and lay a little groundwork before we get to the real interesting stuff. My name is Alex, short for Alexandria. Don't ask where it came from, because it's too damn embarrassing to repeat in 'polite society', but that's a whole other can of worms which is for later too. Point is, who I was is not who I am now, or what I am might be the better way to describe what has happened to me.

Which will take some time to get used to. Why no one ever told me that spontaneous species change is that easy is beyond me, but here I am. I guess it could be worse, like say burning alive as soon as I step into the sunlight, oh wait, that's exactly what happens. Thankfully I avoided that misstep, no thanks to my Sire, but again I get ahead of myself. Blame my wandering thoughts on this whole enhanced senses shtick, sensory overload doesn't begin to cover it.

Okay, let's do this right.

 **Some time ago.**

New York, New York, the city that those fleeing from the eastern continents for one reason or another often came here first. It's rather fitting that the city of refugees, vagabonds, and more would be the start of this particular story. What better place to start a new life? Just don't mind the organized crime that everyone pretends doesn't exist in the darker corners of the city. You can get mugged on one street corner, sold into prostitution on another, and maybe even stabbed to death in a dark alley all in one day if your luck is about as bad as mine was when I first showed up in town, hoping to get away from a single mom who was the very definition of a bible thumper, born again, "Can I get a Hallelujah?!" Christian. Except she forgot the part about compassion, understanding, and went right for the fire and brimstone sections of her Bible with a vengeance.

I love this city, really, so many possibilities, many of them bad for your health sure, but at least you get a choice here, more or less. Even without adding the complexities of the politics of vampiric life, or unlife I guess, there were certain rules you went by if you wanted to survive in New York, but those tended to be the same for any big city like this one. Man, my life was so easy back then, no stupid pompous Ventrue looking down on me, thinking they were superior or some other vampire looking for trouble, or even better, a werewolf wanting to tear you limb from limb. My advice, should you ever be unfortunate enough to find yourself in the last situation, run, run like hell. Seriously, don't mess with those things, even the 'civilized' wolves aren't to be fucked with. Thankfully there aren't many in the cities, otherwise I would be someone's chewtoy by now, knowing my luck.

As for the rules regarding traveling through, and thriving in a city like this one though? It's pretty simple really. Don't sign anything without reading the fine print, especially if you're trying to get a job in the 'fine arts of acting'. Chances are you'd find yourself in some dirty backroom, and 'asked' to take your clothes off for some old man with a hidden camera. I was a writer, so I didn't have to worry about that personally. Another good thing to go by is to be able to defend yourself. A gun? Doesn't do shit if you can't hit your target, although against a vampire it just pisses us off, unless you're packing a twelve gauge, or a flamethrower, but who carries _those_ around in public? No, if you want a chance, hand to hand is the way to go, and I'm not talking about a twelve week course in some faux form of martial arts. Find a real master of kicking someone's ass with their bare hands and go from there.

Oh, and of course look out for older vampires, they have way more experience than you do, both in life and in ass kicking, let alone in being able to use all kinds of creepy ass powers. Don't piss them off either, unless you have a really awesome guardian angel who enjoys coming to your rescue for the rest of your eternal life then, you're good to go. I got lucky a few times during the first couple months, but there's a time and a place that you have to either grow a pair or go home in an ashtray. I grew a pair, and made myself indispensable, for those few 'allies' I trust not to screw me over without giving it some serious thought first. As for those few I actually trust with my life, well, those fall under their own category of badass, more on that later though.

So, what happened to the fresh faced virgin to the big bad city? Things went about as you'd expect for someone that had just 'come out of the closet' among a small community that knew everyone else's dirty laundry. My mother hated my guts, my neighbors soon knew that I had a thing for women, and the rest was pretty much history from there. So I packed up, took dad's truck he left me for my eighteenth birthday before he got into a fight with a telephone pole, that he lost in a head on collision one rainy night of September, and I left town the next day. I had planned to leave my little country life behind anyway, I just left a few months earlier than planned was all.

Unfortunately, those few months might have made all the difference. Finding an apartment almost killed me in its own right since it turns out everything is much more expensive in the big city. And far harder to get, because the moment you might suspect that a flat is available you better give the landlord a call, otherwise you're too late. I was almost prepared to either sleep on a park bench by the time I found something, or possibly murder someone in order to get their apartment when I did finally get my own place.

Although, that park bench looked pretty inviting compared to the place I was able to make my own those first few weeks. The cracks in the walls allowed a pretty cold draft to blow through, the lock on the door would have been a mere annoyance for your average human thief, let alone something with the strength to bench press you with one hand. Although, if a thief had broken in during my early days before I became a vampire, he would have likely taken pity on me and gave me something rather than steal anything. Such was the state of my dear home at the time, but now it's… better, I guess you could say. For one thing the cold doesn't bother me anymore, so that's a plus. And now I could easily tear apart a human thief with an arm tied behind my back and blindfolded, and I would probably still get killed by the first vampire who decided that he didn't like my face. Oh well, such is life.

So here I was, with an apartment that was probably a fire hazard in the making, and about out of money, but thankfully, I found work behind a bar of a club. Yes, I said a club, and no, it wasn't a 'gentlemen's club', although clothes still had a tendency to come off in the dark corners. Every night was a party, an atmosphere that was encouraged by the club owner, and I have to say, I rather enjoyed it, still do really. And then one night in the late April, I saw her.

Stop me if you've heard this story before. Girl meets girl, girl talks to girl, girl ends up going home with girl. It didn't happen all at once mind you, if anything said girl, pale goddess I had thought of her at the time, with strangely luminescent emerald eyes and alabaster skin that could have been cut from the finest marble, was shyer than I was. I didn't find out later until her teeth were in my neck why she was so hesitant to get close to anyone. Funny how life works out like that.

Just so you know, for the victim of the vampire, this whole sucking blood thing feels _really_ pleasurable, well for the vampire too, but nevermind that. Imagine the best sex you've ever had, throw in a little heroin, and you _might_ get close to how good it feels to be fed on, let alone be the one feeding. I wouldn't advise you to turn into a blood whore or something like that though, most vampires can and will use you until there's nothing left. I'm nicer than most. I wouldn't do that, not unless I got good reason to, like say you shot me in the face, that makes me kinda cranky. Or when I'm really, really thirsty and you are that type of unsavoury person I can feed on without feeling guilty. Survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning from a moral standpoint for people like us given the whole Beast wanting to be unleashed. I was lucky in that I was Sired by a Toreador, one of the few clans that actually try to keep in touch with their humanity.

I mean, sorry to say this, but the Nosferatu aren't gonna win any beauty contests anytime soon. They have pretty useful qualities, those being a knack for computers and assassinations, but I wouldn't want to live looking like that. The Malkavian on the other hand are all insane, literally all of them have lost more than a few marbles in one way or another, yet they somehow manage to see and know things no sane person ever should. Creepy I tell you, especially when you're talking to one and suddenly they start throwing your most embarrassing secrets in your face, all while smiling creepily. Yeah, not the most pleasant experience, trust me. And don't get me started about those blood mage bastards who can create gargoyles, among other supernatural entities that don't even have names anymore. There are fewer things more terrifying, even for our kind, than running into a flesh crafted monstrosity better left to some Lovecraftian horror story.

As for me, Toreador I might be, a 'degenerate', hedonist, and all that other garbage, but I actually work for a living, unlike most of the rest of those that came before me or will come after me no doubt. Yeah, I have a thing for art, for beauty, and all the trappings of the finer things in life, partly because of my upbringing, as religious based as it might have started, partly because of the cursed blood in my veins, but I always worked for what I wanted. Nothing was ever handed to me. So make all the jokes you want about me and the clan I happen to be a part of simply because of who made me, but I'm _not_ my clan. I know a dozen ways to snap your neck with just my bare hands without breaking a sweat, if I could sweat, so don't fuck with me and I won't leave you as a pile of ash.

Now that we got that out of the way, let's continue with the story. Now where were I? Ah yes, the whole being sucked on thing. First, it was really awesome, although the sex beforehand hadn't been bad by any stretch of the imagination. Toreador specialize in being hedonists, remember? For some, that translated into being very, _very_ skilled lovers. However, once my vision began to darken since I was busy dying, it became a whole lot less awesome. To this day, I don't remember what happened next, or the taste of my Sire's blood on my tongue as she brought me back from the brink, I only remember taking a ragged, deep breath that I no longer needed only to realize I was in a metal box set into a wall. I found out later that my Sire, like someone else across the US, wasn't supposed to make a new Kindred. Not for the same reasons perhaps, since LaCroix, bastard I've heard he was before he was blown up or something, had no say in what happened in New York, no matter what he thought, arrogant little princeling. But the point is, the Powers that Be and shall, for now, remain unnamed, busted down my apartment door, dusted my Sire, and stuffed me into the nearest morgue they controlled so they could clean up the mess in peace. And….let's just say there was a lot to clean up, ash pile not included. ….Moving on.

Trouble is, they were a little late to the party, and I ended up waking up a little earlier than anticipated. So when I _did_ wake up, there was no committee of vampire elders waiting to greet me, to explain what had happened, why it shouldn't have happened, and what they were going to do to me, if anything. Needless to say, waking up in a morgue cabinet would have been enough to make anyone panic, and given how my night had gone, as good as it might have started, I was beyond scared shitless. I didn't notice I was wearing nothing but a paper dress that I lost at some point as I made a break for the nearest exit, only to immediately jump back into the shadows when the sun started to burn my skin away upon shoving the doors out of my way. The early hours of dawn are not the best way to come into vampirism, trust me, and the smell of burning flesh lingers in the nose like nothing else, except maybe raw sewage. And yes, I've been in the sewers, not something I want to talk about right now.

To make matters worse, I was hungry, as hungry as I've never been before or have been since then. Side effect of being new to the V club I guess. Anyway, there I was as good as naked, unable to go outside and hungry enough to drink dry a dozen people, and dead man's blood doesn't do shit for the hunger in question, believe me I tried. Not a good start as far as I'm concerned.

Thankfully, someone had apparently expected this and prepared a lot of transfusions in a little box for me. How they got it in there without anyone asking what the hell he or she was doing I will probably never know, but I didn't particularly care at that moment. I think I was on bag number six before I came to my senses, such as they were, and in typical fledgling fashion, I tried to immediately throw it back up as the horror of what I had just been doing caught up with me. Yeah, that worked out real well. Not only had I already digested what I had drank down in the time it takes a chain smoker to go through a single cancer stick, I had no gag reflex to speak of anymore.

And I was still damn hungry with my instincts screaming at me to stop screwing around and order the next round of red juice. With nothing better to do other than wonder if I was losing my mind, I saw little point in arguing the point further and went back to my box of juice bags. When I had finally pushed the worst of the hunger away, I was able to get off the dirty, cold linoleum and actually take stock of myself and my immediate surroundings. Looking up though, I realized I had been drinking not ten feet away from a fresh cadaver, but thankfully the Y incision cut into the poor guy's chest was sewed shut, otherwise I might have found a way to vomit. Blood, gore, and all of the bodily fluids associated with violence and death doesn't bother me like it used to, having seen and left behind my fair share by this point, but at the time, I was still new to this whole thing. I had a sensitive stomach, _had_ being the operative word.

 _Okay….okay, I'm in a morgue. Dead bodies on metal slabs kinda give that away._ I remember thinking, as I tried to get my unnecessary rapid breathing under some semblance of control. My next thought was rather predictable. _What am I doing in a morgue? Oh god, am I some kind of weird zombie thing?! I don't wanna be a zombie! They are so gross._ As I said, predictable, but also fitting given my liking for all those kinds of movies and stories. I am still an unrepentant nerd, with a capital N, but now I can't help but laugh at how many things all those shows get wrong.

Next I was forced to face a serious problem, that being I was naked in a morgue with deadly sunlight outside, empty blood bags all around me, and probably looking like a serial killer after his latest killing spree. Thankfully, every morgue has a showering station within easy reach for those technicians that work in places like this, so cleaning up the mess I had made of myself and the immediate area was easy. After the shower, I had a chance to see my own reflection, and yes, we do have reflections, unless some of our more gifted members are using powerful illusion magics to conceal themselves.

Blue eyes, while not entirely as I remembered them, stared back at me. The face they were set in, which was thankfully still mine, was unnaturally pale and blemish free. I had always had problems with pimples, no matter what I tried to do to get rid of them, but now it was as if they had never existed. Pale, smooth, soft as silk, I could have fooled anyone into thinking I had just walked off the set of some gothic fashion show. My hair at least was exactly the same, although the ponytail I usually kept my long, brunette hair contained in had been undone at some point, either by my recently deceased vampire girlfriend who I didn't know had been dusted, or by the vampires who had dropped me here.

So basically I had died, and been returned to this world as an undead, even though I wasn't aware of that fact, at least not at that point, but I was smoking hot, which was a plus. I was grasping at straws, trying to keep my sanity, what was left at the time, intact, sue me for finding comfort in something so mundane as my physical appearance. As for the rest of me, well, I hadn't been bad to look at before, but now? Having seen my first vampire what felt like an eternity ago, it'd be hard to imagine _not_ turning heads everywhere I went as I looked now. What they don't tell you about being a vampire is that the attention you tend to attract can get real annoying real quick, especially when dealing with ghouls, but more on that another time. Let's just say ghouls, humans who have been given vampire blood without being drained near to death themselves, make golden retrievers seem useless by comparison because they're somehow able to sense vampires a mile away.

Having taken in my new, ravenous form long enough, which, as I said, hadn't been bad to look at before given the fact that I had worked for a living, meaning I was no stranger to physical exertions, I left the shower room in the hopes of finding clothes I could….borrow. Luckily for me, the possessions box the techs put extra clothes, pocket watches, jewelry, etc, and catalogue it either for evidence in active police cases or whatever, hadn't been emptied out, or it was left for me purposely to take my pick. I wasn't about to question it either way, so I was able to find something to serve as replacements of my lost belongings.

Pulling a pair of blue jeans out of the box along with a black, long sleeved shirt and a gaudy looking pair of red bra and panties, don't ask, I wasted no time in getting dressed. It was probably just as well because no sooner had I stepped back into the main room, where the dead guy was thankfully still as lifeless as I'd left him, a guy in a black suit came into the room, his hands held up before him in what was probably supposed to be a placating gesture. I took it as a reason to jump backward, far further than I had intended, and hit the back wall with a loud clang. "Easy easy! I'm a friend….well, friendlier than most you're likely to run into in this town." Suited guy said, keeping his distance even as he tried to convince me to relax.

Word of advice, don't try to tell someone to calm down. It never works. "Yeah? Why should I believe you? You could be the guy who brought me here for some reason, is this your murder house? Some kind of sick fantasy where you first murder people and then autopsy them, part of your little game?"

"Wow, you should write books with this kind of fantasy. You'd make a killing." The man replied with an easy going smile. A smile I wanted to punch right off his stupid face.

"Har har." I spat back and rolled my baby blues in retort before slowly peeling myself away from the wall. The claw marks I left in the steel door I didn't see until later. "Start making some goddamn sense you suited ape, or I'm going right through you."

That kind of threat should have gotten a more terrified response, but the 'suited ape' in front of me had seen my type before. "I don't doubt that you could, but that wouldn't accomplish much, unless you want to turn into some kind of genderbent Human Torch."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, beyond confused despite having not so long ago made that exact mistake. I couldn't make the connection though, but as I said, I was freaking out.

"Hello? Sunlight? You step in, you burn. Come on you have to know that." He shot back with an eyeroll. "They told me you were intelligent for christ's sake. You obviously drank the blood in that box, you're very pale, and much stronger than before given how far you jumped away from me. Any of this ringing any bells?" I gave him an uncomprehending look in return, and he sighed in response. "You're a vampire. Now repeat after me, I am a vampire."

"I'm a...vampire?" I repeated, dumbly I might add, but saying it aloud and with what I had been doing before I regained my senses, made something click. It didn't make me feel better, but it helped, or it would soon enough. At that time though, I had the powerful urge to rip the guy's throat out for how stupid he was sounding. "A vampire? _Me_? Sure that girl had a bite fetish but-"

"You're going to be one of those huh?" He groaned and facepalmed. "And here I thought we were making progress. Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Um yes?" I asked, making it sound like the most obvious thing in the world, or that he was the most moronic person I had come across, take your pick. Jokes on me, I would find out later. "Vampires? You couldn't come up with a better one than the most cliche thing there is?"

"Well, I tried." Despite my enhanced senses, reflexes, and everything else that comes with being a newly Embraced fledgling, I didn't move when the guy pulled a gun from a side holster that I hadn't registered until he revealed it with a practiced flick of his wrist. Before I could begin to think about moving to either get out of the way or rip the gun from his hand, he turned the silenced pistol on me and pulled the trigger.

The pain was….remarkably not as bad as I thought it'd be even as a hole formed in my right side, and a quick examination of my back revealed the shot had gone through and through. "Y-you shot me." I stammered in disbelief and shock. Small town living meant small time crime, and most of that was quickly broken up by the cops before anyone was hurt. AKA, I had never been shot before. Funny thing about being turned into a vampire, your life gets a lot more interesting.

More amazing was the fact the suited ape looked utterly bored, as if he'd done this before. It turned out he had. "Yes, now, as you can see you are perfectly fine aside from the pain of course, an-"

But I wasn't listening, but would you listen to a guy who had just put a nine mil slug into your side? "You shot me… I'm dying! You killed me." I moaned through the pain, which had already started to fade. All that blood I had slurped down, as well as the simple fact bullets just piss us off, aside from something more powerful like buckshot, had kickstarted the regeneration process.

"Oh god no, no one can be that stubborn." The guy moaned in exasperation and looked close to using the pistol on himself if it meant getting away from my moaning and continued denial. "You are not dying! You're undead! Unless you get burned to a crisp or fancy walking on sunshine you should be fine. Why do you have to make this so complicated? Just look under your shirt."

"Fine!" I snarled back, unaware I had just bared my fangs for the first time as I pulled up my black top and saw, to my utter amazement and shock, that the hole I had expected to find was already fading literally before my eyes. Besides a small little stream of blood that had escaped from the perfectly round wound, there was soon enough no trace of him having shot me in the first place. "Wha-...how? This is…."

"Insane? Utterly beyond comprehension? I've heard it all before. I've only had to shoot five fledglings, uh, newly awoken Kindred like you, to get my point across."

"Gee thanks." I muttered and pulled my shirt back down with a huff. After having seen irrefutable proof of my recent transformation, all of that shock and denial was starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth. It was still there, don't get me wrong, but I was able to put the worst of it to the wayside for the moment.

"Now that you are finally beyond the denial stage of your little transformation, let's get you out of here, before someone walks in and wonders why the hell the freshly deceased woman is walking around." The guy said rather cheerfully and clapped once. "Alright, you ready to go?"

"Um, one question genius, what about the whole turning into crispy critters?" I asked, my hands on my hips as I leaned forward for effect. Under any other circumstances, the view I was unintentionally presenting would have had anyone with a pulse eager to worship at my feet, but the guy before me merely turned his back with a cough.

"Did you miss the part where I've done this before? I have it all worked out." The shit eating grin on the guy's face, which now that I wasn't busy freaking out and in total denial, I had to admit looked rather handsome, was annoying me to no end. The urge to rip his throat out returned, but I held it in check, somehow as he gestured with his right hand for me to follow him. "I have a van in the parking garage with tinted windows, UV resistant. You'll be fine. I wouldn't be doing my job right if I didn't take into account your kind's….unique needs."

"My _kind_? Fuck it, let's just go." I grumbled, too tired, metaphorically speaking, to give a flying fuck at that point. I just wanted a quiet place to process this insanity, maybe wake up and realize it was all a bad dream. No such luck in my case.

Seeming to sense my thoughts or maybe I wasn't hiding them so well off my face, the guy started to reach out to put a hand on my shoulder, only for me to flinch away at the heat his skin radiated. "Sorry." He offered, and the whipped puppy dog look that came over his handsome face did more for my nerves than anything he'd done so far, shooting me aside of course. Although I had no idea how someone as annoying as he was could make me feel as bad as he did with the look he was giving me, I remember muttering an apology for flinching away when he was just trying to help. It was enough for him as that damned grin started to return. "Let's get you out of here. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us."

The drive was the easy part. Getting out of the hospital just as the morning shift of nurses and doctors started to file in? That was something else. If not for the suited ape's steadying presence anchoring me, I might have lost what control I had and found myself a snack, or twelve, on my way out the door. Enhanced senses is _not_ something you want to awaken to in the middle of a crowded building, in the middle of the day no less. Everything was new, as if I was seeing the world for the first time, and in a way, that wasn't wrong to say.

I most certainly saw it differently, like you were watching VHS, you know, old video cassette tapes, your whole life and suddenly switch to Blu-ray, something like that, only everything was more pronounced. Sounds, smells, everything. Still not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It can be good, especially if you're trying to track someone down, but also quite bad, so yeah. Meh, depends on the situation I suppose, and if you're able to prepare yourself mentally ahead of time. I had none of the skills I do now though, so everything was hitting me at once. As I said, sensory overload? That would have been preferred by the time we got out to the guy's van, and even then it wasn't much of an improvement. I could smell the three year old coffee stains in the back seat, let alone the far fresher scents of fast food, cigar smoke, and at least one tryst in the back that had ended with one person coming out on their feet. The poor bastard she had been...having fun with however, had gone out on his back into the river once she had taken her fill. How I knew that was beyond me, but it was there for the taking. The van was its own history book, and I had access to every detail. Which kinda sucked at that moment, because I most definitely would have prefered it to sleep or something like that but _no_ , my enhanced senses denied me that. It didn't help my new sleep schedule hadn't kicked in yet, having woken up in the early morning hours, so I was already fucked on that account. Thankfully tomorrow morning would see me passing out just as the sun came up, whether I liked it or not, but that was a long ways off yet, and I didn't know any of this still.

One thing was for certain though, my life was undeniably changed. Could I go back to work like this? Looking like I had been replaced by a better looking, if pretty pale, version of myself? How was I supposed to explain _that_ to my boss? "You don't." Looking up, the knowing look on my driver's face was something close to sympathetic. "You're wondering if you can go back to your own life? You don't. Your old life's over, hate to say it, but that's the truth. You can do whatever you like, but if it puts the rest of the supernatural community at risk of exposure, you better rethink your options real quick. That's the only big rule you need to worry about, but you'll get that talk as soon as we reach our destination. Just….be respectful, the elders you're meeting today are far more powerful than you will ever be."

"So that much the movies got right at least?" I asked dumbly, realizing how I probably sounded, but I was trying to make sense of it all.

"Pretty much, but that's about the only thing they got right, that and the whole sunlight bit. Water doesn't hurt, but you found that out already I wager. Crosses? Religion in general? All that bull? Nothing. Garlic? Nothing, but it smells bad for your kind I hear. Fire _does_ pose a problem, since you tend to burn easier, but overall you'll heal from pretty much everything else. The only other thing you need to worry about is magical creatures and their assorted powers. You're not invincible, but you can take a beating and walk it off with a quick suck on someone's neck. Rats and vermin in general will help in a pinch, but I wouldn't recommend it, especially if you're a part of one of the more 'refined' clans." The way he said _refined_ made me visualize air quotes. "Not only will it taste pretty foul, again so I've heard, but certain clans look down on those who eat animals. I don't know what clan Sired you, only that you're a part of the V Club now. I was told to pick you up, do what I could to help you, and get you to safety. I learned to have blood bags ready after the last girl I was told to pick up." The shiver that passed through him might as well have been a full body convulsion for all the good it did him to try and hide his discomfort at the memory.

"Thanks I guess." I replied, and wondered if the smell of the dead guy said girl had probably munched on was the same girl my new friend was talking about. I then realized I probably didn't want to know.

"Eh, don't mention it." The guy shrugged, but he shot me a little smile anyway, "I mean how many people thanked you for doing your job?"

That oddly enough made me smile back even as I had to think about the question. "Now that you mention it… depressingly few. Huh." I had to blink my blue eyes and cock my head to the side as I tried to remember the times I had ever been thanked for tending the bar I had worked at, albeit for a short amount of time. It was a welcome distraction, needless to say, but it didn't last long when we hit a pothole and I was jarred back to my present circumstance. "Does it get easier?" I ask, morose and sorrow filtering into my voice as the reality came crashing down on me with renewed vigor.

"Depends on your definition of 'easier'. Does it get easier living with all the benefits of being a vampire? Yeah, that part gets easy, just give it time." The guy at my side had the decency to lose his grin as he gave me the rest of his latest bit of 'sage advice'. It wasn't cheerful, to say the least. "As for the conflict of morality with what you'll have to do to survive, the constant battle with the Beast all your kind fight to keep hold of some semblance of what you were, that doesn't get any easier, especially if you try to keep to a higher standard than most of the vampiric community who use and discard humans like used soda cans."

I didn't understand what he meant then about this Beast business, but it wouldn't take me long to figure it out. That crack about my intelligence wasn't without warrant, since I've always been pretty smart, but any ignorance on my part could be forgiven with what happened to me and all. That and no one had left a handy, user friendly manual regarding the perils and benefits of vampirism for me to find after all. Not that I could blame them now, since exposing the supernatural community, something my new friend had hinted at already, is something we can't risk, but it would have been nice at the time, jerks.

Thankfully, the time between the hospital and our destination passed in silence after that, and it gave me time to compose myself to the best of my ability, the lingering hunger notwithstanding anyway. Those blood bags hadn't exactly been fresh or the best quality in regards to my 'refined palate', something I'd learn about later, but they had done the job they'd been meant for. As for the scenery outside, tinted windows or not, I could still see enough to get an idea of where we were despite my limited time in the city. Upstate New York was kinda hard to miss since it was nothing but glass skyscrapers and clean, almost immaculate streets as far as the eye could see. There were still places one just didn't go such as the dark alleys and what have you, but overall, the worst crime that happened here, where celebrities and powerful CEOs resided, tended to happen behind closed doors, in the office buildings and high rise penthouse suites where the real power originated in the city. The mayor I'd find out was just a figurehead, the real movers and shakers of this city, and pretty much everywhere else that mattered, were those that led the vampire populations, and I had an appointment with one such group.

If my driver had told me that on the way there beyond the hint he had dropped earlier, I might have hopped out of the van, the sun be damned. I was in no shape, mentally or otherwise, to be talking to people like that, but he didn't say a word, and I didn't ask as we pulled into an underground parking garage. "We're here. Now, try to be respectful. These guys are not to be messed with, that's all I can say."

"What _can_ you tell me oh wise one?" I asked as I got out of the passenger side.

"That sarcasm might end up with you defanged, at the very least." He deadpanned right back, but the all too serious look on his face suggested he wasn't joking anymore. I had to swallow the lump in my throat at that as I did my best to keep my overactive imagination in check. A losing fight, but I tried as images of standing before a collection of dried up suck heads all looking down at me in dismay and disappointment before being consigned to some dark dungeon to rot for the rest of eternity. Writer's imagination for you, what can I say? "Just be polite and you'll be fine. They didn't dust you on the spot, so that means they don't mean to kill you today."

"That's comforting." I muttered as I followed my guide into an elevator some distance away from his van and stuffed my hands in my jeans pockets as the doors shut in front of us.

"Isnt it? Sorry to say, but I'm not gonna make you any promises I can't keep." He told me with a small shrug. "Oh and one other thing, no matter how some of them might act and look. Don't. Freak. Out."

"Why, do they have Nosferatu knock offs walking around?" Remember I said I was a nerd? I used to love Monster Movie night with my pops, before is run in with said telephone pole, and he had a thing for the classic horror romps. So when the guy next to me gave me a strange look, I could only stare back as an uneasy silence fell between us. "You're kidding right?" I finally asked, putting two and two together.

"As I said, don't freak out."

"They have, oh damn I'm screwed." I furiously whispered back. "Can't you take me out of the city before I offend someone and get my head ripped off or something like that? Please?"

"Sorry darlin', duty calls, and I'm just a delivery boy at the end of the day. I don't warrant high enough to ask for favors of any kind." Translation, he was only human, no better than cows are to those that run the slaughterhouses. "As I said, you'll be fine, just be respectful, and if anyone gives you any trouble, well, they have that right I'm afraid. They've been around a lot longer than we have, and they've earned every bit of disdain they might throw your way."

"Great, so I should expect to be treated like dirt, but as soon as I talk back, I'm screwed?" Great, my chances, which were already low to begin with, at least as far I was expecting, just dropped just shy of a negative five.

"Well, with some yes. Others though… not every vampire is an asshole. Some are really nice, and care about humans… too much in some cases." He said with a far away look before he put another smile on his face, though this one lacked any real cheer. "Now, I'm afraid I have to go, my kind isn't exactly welcome at these meetings." No sooner had he finished speaking that the elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing a marble foyer that could have come out of some Victorian palace from the eighteenth century. When he made no move to come with me, I swallowed another nervous lump and stepped onto the hard stone floor, expecting someone in a red cape with a thick Transylvanian accent to come swooping out from behind one of the pillars on either side of the main hall.

Instead, there was only a set of intricate oak doors behind a lavishly appointed mahogany desk, where a receptionist was waiting to greet me. "Alexandria I presume?" When she looked up from the computer in front of her, the boredom on her face hardly faded as she took me in at a glance before she tapped a few keys on the keyboard in front of her. "First room on the right. They're expecting you."

"Thank you." I replied meekly and she merely rolled her eyes in annoyance. Which made me wonder if I would turn into a stuck up bitch like her too or if I would retain my personality.

"Fledglings." I heard her mutter on my way by. How she managed to put so much venom into that single word I didn't know, but I did my best to ignore her as I pushed my way through the doors in question, mindful of the fact I had probably just left enough dirt to mar the brass handles to the point no amount of cleaning would restore them to their original luster. Not that I cared since that receptionist had put me in a bad mood.

Turning to the right as instructed, I was once more disappointed my imagination wasn't living up to the reality since I had expected something….more, than a board room behind a plain wooden door like the ones I had passed through already. That said, I still found myself taking a steadying breath I didn't technically need, and just started to reach for the handle when someone came bounding out to greet me, her all too perfect teeth, and pale, alabaster skin much like my own, the first hints that made it obvious she was lacking a pulse.

"There you are my dear. Are you alright? I know it can be quite disorienting to wake up after the Embrace." French, accented, beautiful? Why did these guys have to be so damn ravishing and sexually stunning? But one thing I noted as the French woman, hair done up in a tight bun of platinum locks, her jaw pointed and cheeks sculpted to perfection, was that her eyes did not match the kind smile on her face. They were predatory and they weren't friendly as they fell on me and her full, pouty lips turned into a frown just as quickly. "Hmm….I had hoped dear Samuel would have made it a point to dress you in something more appealing, but we'll get that sorted out later I suppose. We have all of eternity after all. Come come, those among Clan Toreador must stick together my dear girl."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what a _clan_ is. Would you mind explaining it to me?" I asked her politely, chanting in my head that this wasn't too different than talking to customers at the bar.

"Oh yes, of course. My apologies." She had the decency to lose the frown, and that predatory gleam in her brown eyes disappeared about the same time. Manicured nails attached to long, slender fingers that were likely used to working a piano fell on my shoulder before I knew what was happening. "Before that though, you must be starving, darling. And we never did get introductions out of the way did we? What is this world coming to when I forget my own manners?"

 _I am the woman who is going to act all friendly until I have you where I want you to be, just like a spider lures a fly into its web._ I couldn't help but think with a barely suppressed shudder. "Alexandria, although most people call me Alex." I offered instead, trying to keep this little meet and greet as civil as possible. Even if all of my knowledge of the supernatural came from movies like Blade and shows like Supernatural, there were always a few common threads, and one of them Samuel had told me already. Meaning, this woman could probably gouge out my eyes with those perfectly manicured nails before I could begin to raise a hand against her.

"Charmed. You may call me Catherine, childe. Tis a pleasure to meet you despite these unfortunate circumstances that has brought you into the fold." Right, charmed, then why did I get the impression she was trying not to wrinkle her nose at me? Still, even if her kindness was feigned, it _was_ nice to talk to someone that knew what the hell was going on. Before I could say anything though, she turned on her heel, all regal perfection even if it was contained in a form fitting, smart business attire rather than a dress made of the finest silks I could ever imagine, and beckoned me to follow her into the room she had just come out of.

Catherine as she identified herself, led me to a group of other vampires, whose apparent leader didn't even try to hide his disdain for me. Given the look on his face when he looked at me, I could have been something he scraped off the bottom of his shoe, which said shoes probably cost more than my mother's house by themselves. His entire outfit just screamed old money, perfectly tailored to his imposing, tall form that had me thinking about all those guys you see on the front of fashion magazines, and not the drop dead sexy, smiling variety either. More like the unscrupulous, unrelenting, uncaring businessmen types that would as soon step on you like a cockroach as look at you. An immediate dislike began to form towards the man the longer I was in his presence. A dislike that only became more pronounced the moment he opened his mouth. "Yes, yes. You are confused and want to know what's going on and what's going to happen to you now. How tragic really. Now that we've got your complaints out of the way, we can discuss more important things. Like the rules you will abide to if you wish to live for any amount of time as a Kindred. The fact we're having this meeting at all in the middle of the day is bad enough, so you'll forgive us if we're not more welcoming." Yeah, I believed that asshole.

Catherine clucked her tongue in disapproval towards the man at the head of the long, metallic table as she sat down right next to me, whether I liked it or not. "Charles, darling, do be more polite will you? She is just as lost as we've all been at one time or another. It wasn't her choice to be Embraced, as you well know. Eliza was told she couldn't turn anymore people until next year, yet she disobeyed our directives. Hence, she was dealt with, as was our right and duty to do so. This is merely orientation, not an execution."

"Toreador waste." Another of the men on Charles' right muttered into his glass of what I at first took to be red wine, but given the setting and the nature of those around me, I had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't wine he was drinking. Catherine's lips twitched at the slur but otherwise remained unaffected by the comment.

"Eliza… guilty heart… wishing to undo her sin. Night shadows, nightmare. Hahahahah." Another woman laughed, her pale skin even more pronounced than my own, and laughing in a way that would have impressed the Joker himself. Beyond that, she looked remarkably mundane in a black, low cut dress that looked more appropriate in a dance club than a board room such as this. Short, red hair pulled into a little ponytail, soft, pixie like facial features, and amber, if crazed, eyes darted about like two ping pong balls. Functional crazy might have been the best way to describe her, if a very loose definition was applied anyway.

"Peace Juliet….but our Malkavian friend is right." An asian, older gentleman said, situated on Charles' left side. Unlike Charles, the asian man's face was kind and almost inviting, a little too inviting. Slightly wrinkled and drawn skin, fitting his oriental origins, and little brown eyes that seemed to contain a great deal of wisdom and experience swept over the room at large before settling on me for a moment before moving back to Charles the Cunt. "Eliza's...soft heart was indeed at fault perhaps, but we all know her unfortunate past. While it is regrettable we had to take steps against her, she did at least leave a promising new childe for our organization. From what our techs have provided, Ms. Alexandria Watson is an exceptionally gifted young woman, she just needs refinement and time to adjust."

"Wait what? You hacked-"

"Yes Ms. Watson, we hacked into your private life. Get used to it." Another woman, this one looking like she belonged in a pro wrestling ring, or an MMA octagon, I couldn't decide which, grunted out at me. "It saves the more technologically adept among us time to get our more traditional members up to speed by taking the expedient route. So, yes, we had people hack your life. Now, unless you have something useful to say, shut it." Brujah bitch number one, and she wouldn't be the last of her clan I'd run into.

"Promising… angry, rage… voices, always voices… Eliza… regret without end!" Juliet moaned from the side, shaking in horror at whatever she was seeing.

"You will have to forgive Juliet, Eliza was a good friend of hers… she is quite shaken." The polite asian guy from before said and turned to tend to his still shaking friend. "Peace, Juliet." When his right hand started to glow bright red as he waved it in front of crazy pants, Juliet's frantically darting eyes stilled, and her distressed groans stopped. When she had calmed sufficiently, the asian man let his hand fall back into his lap, sans freaky light show. "There, that's better, yes?"

"Miss her still." Juliet groaned softly, but nodded, which seemed to satisfy the vampire at her side.

"I know childe." Sensing my utter disbelief at what I had just seen, the asian man chuckled sheepishly as red lightning danced across his fingertips. "Tremere, blood magic runs strong in my line Ms. Watson."

"Oh….good to know." Magic….genuine magic, and asian guy wielded it as easily as some people dealt out cards at a poker table. Good to know messing with a Tremere was a good way to end up dead most likely, or worse if my dark imaginings that had started back up with a vengeance were to be believed. To make it worse, the asian man only smiled knowingly, as if he had a direct line into my thoughts. It turned out telepathy is a real thing for certain clans, although I'm still not sure if the Tremere man in question actually had that particular gift or not.

 _He is going to make your blood boil!_ My brain was screaming at me, coming up with ever new ways of horrible deaths to keep my mind occupied. Not something that I would consider enjoyable no matter the environment, in front of vampire leaders discussing my fate, even less so. But Catherine's reassuring smirk made me relax, more than should have been possible at a glance, yet it did, and I wasn't about to argue with the results as the proverbial cold sweat that had started to form died just as quickly.

Charles chose that moment to start talking again, so it was probably just as well. "Yes yes, we all know Eliza was an unrepentant bleeding heart. That doesn't change the facts, she broke our laws, put our secrecy at risk, and has left us her mess to clean up, again. I say we are better off without people like her who disturb our carefully maintained status quo." And I say again, the Ventrue are assholes, and Charles was king of the assholes in New York. Not even twelve hours in and he was all too happy to spit on Eliza's ashes.

If not for Catherine's hand finding a place over my own as my nails started to dig into the table, I might have jumped the smug prick then and there, only to end up dusted for my trouble most likely. As it was, I still had to do a silent ten count before I was able to look at the man without wanting to disembowel him. I had gotten to know Eliza after all, before she had Embraced me, so hearing him talk about her like she was a piece of shit was not doing him any favors.

"Arrogance… fire! Burn, burn burn." Juliet began to laugh again and looked at Charles with a crazy look in her eyes, well, crazier. As I've said, Malkavians are all utterly batshit crazy, some much more so than others. Juliet would turn out to be relatively tame compared to some Malkavians I've met since.

"Now now Juliet, you can't burn him to ash just because he's a dick. Maybe later though, knowing him he'll give you plenty of other reasons in no time." The Brujah woman said with a smirk directed at the king of douchebags. Then she turned that smirk on me next, and whatever respect I had started to feel for her evaporated just as quickly. "So, what do we do with Eliza's ill begotten offspring? We already agreed we wouldn't execute her, otherwise our friends that raided her apartment would have dealt with her then and there."

"What we do with all newly Embraced, no matter their origins, Lisa." Charles replied, having since brushed off Juliet's insane ramblings and ignored the obvious threats to his person that were well warranted if I were any judge. "We see if she's worth keeping around. Get her set up in a safe house."

"Don't I get a say in this?" I dared ask, and wasn't all that surprised when Charles glared down at me as if he was only noticing me for the first time and didn't like what he saw at all.

"No." He hissed at me and narrowed his eyes. "And please remain silent while your betters converse." Well, I couldn't say Samuel, the 'ape in a suit', hadn't warned me about these people treating me like shit. Still, I bit my tongue and sat in silence as they talked over me as if I wasn't even in the room. But at least I had one, ally might have been a stretch, but Catherine's presence kept me still and my temper mostly in check as the proceedings continued without any further input from me.

I did pay close attention however as the rules were laid out in no uncertain terms, the biggest being as I've said before, not revealing our presence to the rest of society. Any feedings, supernatural acts, etc, had to be kept to the shadows or there would be hell to pay for the offender. To use their words, the Masquerade had to be maintained at all costs, and the Camarilla, the thirteen original bloodlines, or clans, not counting the Sabbat, the Anarchs, and the Antitribu of course, were the law of the land on all matters Masquerade.

As for the rest of the rules, they were pretty standard fare in comparison, and mostly common sense stuff I won't bother getting into here. Suffice it to say, by the time it was over, I was more than happy to have Catherine at my side as my fellow Toreador escorted me to a lounge area where the Tremere asian man was waiting for us. How he got there ahead of us I wasn't about to ask as Catherine let go of my arm and moved with refined grace to a nearby fridge, where I immediately felt my eyes be drawn to when the contents inside were revealed. "Here we are. You look like an A- girl." Yep, you guessed it.

Emptying the blood bag into a crystal wine glass that certainly fit the marble foyer I had passed through earlier, Catherine handed it over before pouring herself a glass. "Welcome to the clan, and the Camarilla, my dear. I do hope we get a chance to see each other again soon." I only nodded, my mind going in a thousand different directions as she toasted my health before taking a sip of her hemoglobin on the rocks. I did the only thing I could do and followed her example while our Tremere friend watched on, that knowing smile on his face doing my nerves no favors.

 **End Notes:** _And there you have it. The beginning of what I hope will be a regularly updated story. What I didn't mention before in the opening notes, is the reason this story began, beyond inspiration as a whole after watching Christopher Odd's walkthrough, lackluster as it might be as a whole. The beginning, regardless if you're playing the unmodded version or not, which allows you to play as the inverse of the Camarilla and the clans, as well as the sects involved on either side, just did not make any sense._

 _You get Embraced, you get judged, and your character is totally okay with everything that's happened. Nomad and myself, while we're fans of the game, although he's actually played it, lucky bastard, called bullshit on that whole thing. Yes, I get that the game was never properly finished, so there's a lot of holes like that, but I was driven to make a more 'realistic' opening sequence as you've seen the beginning of. All that denial, rage, and everything else you've seen? That's also just the beginning since I don't believe the transition can be that easily, not by a long shot._

 _As I've said before though, I've only recently gotten into the whole VtM scene, so any mistakes I make I apologize for in advance, but we have been doing what research we can as myself and_ _ **Nomad-117**_ _continue this little project, between a couple others we've been devoting our time to._ _ **Unharmonic Convergence**_ _on_ _ **Archer83**_ ' _s profile for example, as well as_ _ **The Eternal Effect**_ _on Nomad's side of things. Now there's this one. D Anyway, see ya folks! Let the Masquerade commence!_


	2. Give It Time

**Chapter 2: Give It Time**

After the little meet and greet with the Primogens of the New York clans, Primogens being the oldest, most powerful members of the V club so there's no confusion for the rest of you, I was summarily escorted out of the lounge room and back into the parking garage, where Samuel was waiting for me. The relieved look on his face was a welcome sight for me, although I don't remember if I told him that in any shape or form. Doesn't matter now I suppose. Instead he ushered me into the van, and I handed him a piece of paper Catherine had handed me before I left the lounge, which Samuel soon had pulled up in the van's GPS navigator. "Yeesh, that's clear across town. Guess we're stuck together for a while longer."

"You make that sound like a bad thing." I shot back, a flicker of a smile pulling at my lips despite how tired and mentally exhausted I felt. Despite the Tremere Primogen and Catherine's efforts to make me feel welcome, there was far too much going on, too many things that had been thrown at me, that I just wanted time to curl up in a ball and cry my little undead heart out. More pressing than that though, I wanted to grab Eliza by her shoulders, or her throat, and demand to know why she had done this to me. I wanted answers and she was no longer around to give them, so that only added to my exhaustion and the swirling storm of emotions in my gut.

Samuel though, he wasn't blind, or dumb despite being 'only human', and let me sulk in silence once we had gotten underway. And the time spent as we chugged along in New York city traffic during the middle of rush hour was, ironically, very peaceful for me despite the loud blaring of horns and the curses of more aggressive drivers on every side. I tuned it out to the point, or I passed out, I don't know which, that the next thing I remember is Samuel backing the van into a darkened alleyway. Ever the vigilant caretaker, he even went so far as to pull out an umbrella, his grin making a comeback tour as he held it just so for me so I wouldn't get burned the moment I stepped outside. "And people say chivalry is dead." I said as I took his offered hand, slightly impressed I was able to bite back my first instinct to flinch away from the ever present warmth he gave off compared to my ice cold flesh.

"I like to make a lasting impression." He chuckled, and I couldn't see any discomfort on his face from the sharp contrasts between our temperatures. If not for the fact he had made it clear he had done this many times before, I might have wondered why he wasn't freaked out. It was just another reason why I couldn't help but like him, despite our rather….interesting beginnings with him shooting me and all. As for his chivalrous behavior, it didn't stop there as he opened the front door to the 'safehouse' that had been prepared for me, and promptly followed me inside once he had the umbrella folded up and out of the way. "Here we are. Home sweet haven."

Except I knew this building, having ignored what Catherine had written down, too eager to get out of that building as quickly as possible, now that I was able to look around without fear of being left out in the open. Vampires were not meant to walk around during the day, that's why we're always, nine times out of ten anyway, normally in bed once the sun comes up. Speaking from personal experience, I kept imagining pieces of my skin burning away if so much as a stray sunbeam touched me even through my clothing, so I was pretty jittery until we were inside, but now that we were safely indoors, I was able to relax. As for where we were though, apparently my vampire elders had a sense of humor, because the 'safehouse' they had set up was in my old apartment building, which led me to reasonably assume they had simply recycled my former home in the city to serve as my new haven. Charles' idea no doubt, the prick.

I had no way to prove it of course, but it just seemed like something he'd do, just to make a point. That point being that until I 'proved my worth', I was no better than the 'useless fledgling trash' he likely had put into a dustpan and swept into a waiting garbage bin, thus I should have a home equivalent to my worth. Or I was just in a really foul mood and it was coloring my opinion of everything. In reality it was a bit of both things, but whatever the case was, I didn't have it in me to argue the point further as I sullenly followed Samuel upstairs. Stopping at my assigned door, which was indeed my old apartment, I showed myself in while Samuel waited outside, ever the gentleman. I think I made it pretty clear by now my apartment wasn't much to look at, and given my mental state at the time, I could have had a cockroach parade running across the cracked flooring, and I wouldn't have batted an eyelash.

So I pulled him into what passed for my living room, a hand me down couch with a number of duct tape patches across its surface against one wall, and a small, giant rabbit eared TV that had a large backside, which barely functioned I might add, on top of a crooked stand against the other wall. Said wall had a large crack that led into the bedroom, allowing that cold draft I mentioned earlier, but as I also stated, I no longer noticed the cold. Take the wins where you can get them I suppose. Still, I let Samuel go when I saw the uncomfortable, slightly embarrassed look on his face as he shut the door behind him. "Sorry, I just….don't want to be alone right now." I told him, and he nodded in understanding.

"I gathered that." If I'm being completely honest right now, I don't think I could have made it through the day if not for him sticking around. I was a mess and he was the only person I trusted at all in this brave, dark, depraved new world I found myself in. Unsure what to do though, Samuel's gaze darted about the room as he struggled to find something to say, something that might make all this make some kind of sense. Bless him for trying, but nothing could make this better. Say what you want about the Toreador and how they use and discard people, Eliza was different. That's the lie I convinced myself of for the longest time anyway, but more on that another time. Bereft of my Sire, the woman I had started to love no less, bereft of my old life in a night of passion that was already starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth, I finally collapsed onto the couch that was about as lifeless as I was and broke down into incoherent sobbing. It was only when I saw the red teardrops that splashed across the floor that I realized just how far gone I truly was. If even my tears were as crimson as the blood I had been sharing with Catherine, then I truly was a damned, cursed animal in human skin. A wolf hidden in plain sight among the sheep, the perfect predator.

I didn't have it in me to flinch or recoil from Samuel when he pulled me against his side, steadfast, almost unbearably warm, and unmoving. The fact I was weeping tears of blood, that I was probably ruining his expensive looking suit, didn't seem to matter to him as he pulled me close so that my head was resting against his shoulder, a dangerous place to be since I _was_ a fledgling, but feeding was the last thing on my mind. Not that I could have stopped even if he had said something, but it was nice to know he cared far more about my wellbeing than his own appearance, or personal safety, Masquerade be damned in either case. Not that the other vampires would have shed any tears for him if I _had_ ripped out his throat that night.

It wasn't until he gingerly lifted me into his arms, without forcing me to move my head from his shoulder, that I realized we were moving. I didn't fight him as he carried me to my little single bed and laid me down on my side with the care of someone handling a porcelain doll. I felt broken though, empty, devoid of anything human, but the kindness was exactly what I needed as he pulled the heavy blankets up to my chin before sitting beside me. When he started to get up some time later, I stopped him by grabbing for his hand. He looked surprised for all of two seconds, before twisting his hand about so that he could gingerly wrap his fingers around my own. "Stay, please? Until...if...I fall asleep?" I remember asking him, and Samuel's response was to smile sadly and nod before taking his spot once more without complaint.

I don't know how long he stayed at my side, how long I remained in that state, weeping for everything that had been taken from me, but I do remember waking up several hours later. The only reason I know that is because of the digital clock at my bedside, which when we had walked in, or rather when Samuel had carried me to my bed, read that it was close to noon when he got me to bed, and when I woke up, it was closer to nine, going on ten.

I didn't _feel_ better though, but all that time sleeping helped all the same. I think I felt ready to start accepting everything, truly accepting what Eliza had done to me instead of just nodding my head and acting the part of a trained ape. It sucked, no pun intended, but there was nothing to be done about it, and as much as I hated what I had been turned into, I wasn't about to take my own life. Blame that on all those Sunday school lessons I got as a kid, but that was one thing I'm glad my mom beat into my head. While Christianity might not have as strong a stance regarding suicide, as say the Catholic variant, it's still there. Doesn't matter, but while the thought crossed my mind to stay outside until the sun came up, just burn away with the coming of a new day, I dismissed it just as quickly. Southern stubbornness runs very deep in my family. Besides, chances were I'd piss off the wrong nightwalker and end up getting dusted anyway. No such luck on that one, but it wasn't from lack of trying.

"You look like a mess kid." I immediately sat up, the blankets ending up in a pile at the end of the bed, but I didn't see anyone. Then I saw the shadows in the next room and realized someone was talking to Samuel. "Not your blood, the girl's then? Shoulda figured that'd be the case, can't blame her though. Sire gets dusted and she doesn't even get a chance to say goodbye. Least the last kid I met like her got a chance to look that suckhead in the face."

"How'd you even find us Jack?" Samuel asked, amazement in his voice but I didn't know why. "And besides, I thought you were still a wanted man after that fiasco in Santa Monica?"

"Allegedly Sammy! No one's around to say otherwise since LaCroix bit it." The redneck, and I've lived long enough in the southern states to be able to identify the accent, declared cheerfully before patting Samuel on his shoulder. "As for the kid, she disappeared, likely stirring up more trouble, and I say good for her! Our kind could use a good kick to the teeth." This was the first time I heard about the woman that had walked away from a clan war between the Anarchs, the Camarilla, and the Kuei Jin, despite having a blood hunt put out on her head by a power mad LaCroix, but it would not be the last, not by a long shot.

"I don't want to know Jack, just being around you is hazardous." Samuel groaned and hung his head, only to almost fall over when Jack laughed and slapped him on his back.

"Only for those suckheads that can't get their heads outta their asses kid. You're alright, 'specially for watching out for sleepy beauty all day." Jack said and jabbed his thumb towards my general direction, only to freeze before sticking his head into the doorway. He let out a surprised noise, but regained his composure just as quickly. "Sorry, hope we didn't wake ya darlin'." He said to me and had the good grace to look sheepish for potentially disturbing my rest.

I immediately took a liking to him and managed a smile despite that gaping maw in my chest, reminding me that I couldn't ever go back to being my former human self. "No, it's fine." I said instead of what I had wanted to say, and threw my legs over the side of my bed. "Just been one hell of a rough day."

"Can't imagine why, kid." Jack replied and rubbed the back of his neck before he and Samuel entered my little hovel of a bedroom. "You ain't the first and won't be the last, sucks but them's are the breaks."

Seeing Jack fully, I couldn't help but think of one of the smaller members of those hicks from Duck Dynasty. I'm not a fan, I value my brain cells, but my point being Jack was muscular, wild hair and bearded, yet something about his face was friendly and warm despite being one of the older vampires in the area. Clad simply in an open leather tan shirt that showed off his hairy chest more than it concealed, and tight, jean pants, he might not have been the most attractive guy around, but he was easy to talk to, which was the more important thing. He knew what was what better than most, and wasn't afraid to help newly Embraced like me despite being an Anarch, those that prefer their own rules to those of the Camarilla. That and while he had his opinions about the governing body of vampires, he didn't try and persuade me one way or the other when we first met, preferring to let me form my own opinion.

"Hey, I know I'm handsome but no need to stare darlin'." Jack teased, making me look away with an embarrassed snort which only made him laugh. "Haha, sorry but ya made it too easy!"

"Jack…." Samuel groaned, clearly uncomfortable with having a possible felon, at least among the vampires, in such close proximity. "You really shouldn't be here."

"Yeah yeah I know kid." Jack replied but made no move to go anywhere. "Just give me five minutes and you won't see me here again, scout's honor!"

"I doubt you were a scout in any lifetime." Samuel grumbled as he left the room in a huff.

"Yeesh, for being an errand boy you'd think he'd be less of a stiff."

"I heard that!" Sam called from the living room, much to Jack's amusement.

"That was the point!" He called back before shutting my door behind him with another cheerful laugh. It was only after our privacy was established that the wide, encompassing smile on Jack's face faded somewhat. "Seriously kid, you can't go wrong with Sammy. He's a good guy, he'll watch out for you better than any ghoul, helps he has all of his faculties about him though."

"So why are you here exactly?" I ask, in no mood to play games with anyone, this overly cheerful redneck especially, even if he had given me no reason to hate his guts. Still, my mood must have been apparent in my voice because Jack sat down, but not before dusting the seat of his pants off.

"Well it's like this kid. You're new on the block and since your Sire bit it, you're likely wondering what happens now. Normally your girl would have taught you what you needed to know to survive, but since she ain't here I thought I'd take up the slack."

"Excuse me if I find that hard to believe that you're here out of the goodness of your little black heart." I really shouldn't have said that to an older vampire, especially one that started that clan war I mentioned just by letting slip news about an ancient sarcophagus being discovered that might have contained an ancient vampire from the days of Caine himself, but remember I was in a very dark place. Rational thought didn't factor into it.

If I had hoped to offend him though, I was sorely disappointed when Jack just grinned in response. "I never said that I would help you out of the goodness of my little black heart, as you put it. I just love giving the new kids a kick up the ass and watch them stumble around, it's just too damn funny."

"Okay, I have no trouble believing that." I was forced to admit.

"Ha! Heard you were smart kid, glad to see that's the truth, should make this next bit easy then. Go get cleaned up, we got places to go darlin'." Before I could begin to protest, Jack had slipped out of my room and was whistling a merry tune with every step, leaving my door wide open as he went.

"Thanks?" I called out after him before flopping back onto the bed with a huff and a hand over my forehead. If I was still able to get headaches, I imagine I'd have had a real thumping migraine on my hands right about then. Seeing no better alternative, and since the night was literally mine now to do as I liked, I did the only thing I could do and got ready for whatever Jack had in mind. Picking through what passed as my collection of clothes, I just went with the first thing I laid my hands on, took a quick shower, more to clean up the blood stains from my crying my eyes out, and was out the door in fifteen minutes with Jack and Samuel waiting for me. "So genius, what happens now?"

"I thought you'd never ask. Sammy, warm up the car will ya? We got a hot date downtown."

"Do I look like your chauffeur Jack?"

"No but your hers until suckhead Charles says otherwise."

Samuel and I shared a look at that before he hopped into the driver's side with an annoyed grunt. "Don't remind me, when I started he wasn't the prince, and now… he is the crown prince of douchebags, long may he reign." The insincerity in Samuel's voice was sharp enough to dull a knife as he started up the van and soon had us going on our way with Jack shouting out the occasional direction. It was nice to know I wasn't the only one that absolutely hated Charles' guts though, and it did a little bit to pull me out of my depression, if only a little. Every little bit helped though as we drove into a part of town that looked more like a demilitarized zone than anything else. Every building was all but falling down, and most of them had at least one gang tag sign on its facade, while the alleyways were practically dripping with graffiti from across the years.

As for those few establishments that looked halfway decent, they were home to 'psychics', loan sharks, adult video stores, and more. Basically, this place was not a respectable member of society, vampire or human, would be caught dead here, but for a newborn like myself, it was the perfect proving ground. "Might want to keep that peashoooter handy Sammy, this ain't a place to let your guard down."

"Gee ya think Jack? You hoping we get shanked while we're here?" Samuel growled, his eyes darting up and down the street, his senses on high alert. Not that I could blame him since I could practically smell the fear, the oppression, and desperation in the air on every side. Not only that, but there was an air of hostility and malevolence, of danger around every corner, and while it wasn't directed at any one thing, one misstep and every person on the block would be coming after our blood.

"Ha! I'd love to see these fools try. Nah kid, but it is a good place for wholesale murder to happen and no one will so much as bat an eye." Jack said with a nonchalant shrug that did nothing to reassure either myself or Samuel. "Come on darlin', we won't be long if you're a fast learner."

"Gee, that's reassuring." Samuel muttered and rolled his eyes. "Which also means that if we disappear, no one will ever know, just great." Just as I started to turn back to stay right where we were, Sam shook his head and gestured for me to follow Jack. "I might not like this Alex, but he's right. You need to learn how to get a handle on this, and experience is the best teacher. That much we can agree on, even if I hate the idea of throwing you to the wolves like this. I'll be fine."

Hesitantly nodding to Sam, I blew out an annoyed breath and ran after Jack, who had since crossed the street and had started around a corner of a warehouse with a chain link fence around its perimeter. "So what are we doin' here exactly?" I asked once I had caught up with Jack. He smirked and pointed to the front of the warehouse, where I could see clear as day, despite it being pitch black, the street lamp having been shattered long before we got there, a group of people milling about. Seven of them, all of them bearing matching tattoos on their arms and carrying guns if my eyes didn't deceive me. And given my enhanced senses, I could clearly make out the imprints of them underneath shirts or tucked into their overly tight pants, one man even had his pistol stuffed into the front of his jeans, a bad idea if I ever saw one.

Having done my examination, Jack was more than happy to explain his reasoning when he saw my inquisitive look. "Word on the street is that these low lifes are part of a ring of smugglers, human traffickers for one of those human criminal organizations. Normally I wouldn't give a damn, since humans do their thing and we do ours, but I figure you wouldn't feel too bad about running through 'em as part of your trainin' and all. That and your humanity I figure is important to ya, especially since you're a member of the Rose, darlin'." It was here that his smirk died and he grew deadly serious. "Ever hear of the Beast yet kid?"

"Only riddles more than anything." I answered honestly, but even that much was making me nervous, and for good reason.

"Yeah, figured as much. Thing about this life of ours kid, we're driven to survive, but we don't have to leave a trail of bodies wherever we go. The Beast is only worried about survival at any cost, and killing without it being necessary, or just being an unrepentant asshole, tends to let it wake up and take over. Frenzying, a vampire who's lost all reason, is not a pretty sight, kid. But killing assholes like those human traffickers, or by someone shooting at ya first and you just defending yourself? That's another story altogether. No need to worry then about losing your shit."

"I don't want to kill anybody!" I protested vehemently, shaking my head in denial.

"Ah, it isn't that bad. Hate to say it kid but you're a predator now, so your psyche also adjusts accordingly, at least a little. So don't worry about nightmares and sleepless days. 'Sides, I didn't say you _had_ to kill these assholes." He patted my shoulder before continuing his explanation. "All those wonderful clans that think themselves above the rest have all kinds of nifty powers. Take the Toreador for instance kid. You have your very Presence, that undefinable allure that just makes everyone drawn to you like moths to a flame. Then there's the whole supernatural speed, Celerity, that is yours by right rather than learned by the rest of us poor suckheads. And last but not least, ya got your Auspex. You can see people's auras, regardless if they're human, suckhead, or somethin' else altogether. Of course, that's just the beginnin' of what you can do with those darlin'. Just wait until you gain some experience with them. Hehe."

Like many things, I didn't know what he meant then, but it wouldn't take me long to figure it out. Auspex alone would take what I thought I knew about my new unlife and turn it on its head as I'd begin to see what was behind the masks of those that had become a part of my life. More on that later, but needless to say, being able to read someone's mind, their very intentions, is both a blessing and a curse all its own, but when used correctly, it makes life a lot easier.

But that was for later, because when I looked up, Jack was gone. I looked around, frantic to find him, only to see the guy had gotten on the roof of the warehouse, a shit eating grin on his face. "You son of a bitch." I muttered under my breath, still not particularly eager to engage those human traffickers by myself.

Jack must have seen my hesitation, because a moment later, one of said traffickers got hit by an empty soda can, in the face, and the best part? It looked like I was the one who threw it. I was really starting to hate all those fancy vampire tricks, at least when they were used against me. And Jack's grin never faltered as the gun toting gang members turned their attention towards me. Oh I was not about to take this one lying down, which was exactly the point because anger, as it turned out, is a powerful catalyst when it comes to activating one's innate abilities. "You throwin' shit at us?" One of the men shouted, waving his gun hand about willy nilly as he did, no doubt trying to appear threatening. To me though, he looked utterly ridiculous, despite the very clear danger he presented to me. Taking my silence as a reason to get in my face, the apparent leader of six behind him tried to tower over me despite the fact we were the same height. "I asked you a question bitch. You throwin' shit at us?"

"It got you to come over here didn't it?" Later, after the adrenaline had worn off, I'd wonder where the fuck that had come from, as well as the sultry, seductive note in my voice for that matter, but at that time I was too pissed off at Jack and my situation in general to wonder. The guy waving his gun in my face blinked, feeling just as surprised as a little voice in the back of my head sounded, and took a half a step back. "Maybe I'm here to make a deal, ever think about that?"

" _You_? You don't look the type lady." The man said, and his surprise filtered to the rest of his little group. I'll admit, coming down to a gang infested neighborhood, looking like I belonged on the block in my unremarkable, plain shirt and black hoodie, didn't help with the image of having money to purchase a...servant of any sort, but I wasn't thinking clearly at that moment. That survival instinct of mine that Jack had hinted at had kicked into high gear, and that part was in full control, which translated to me being able to bullshit my way through this very dangerous situation.

I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all, which oddly enough helped my case with these people as I spread my hands and shrugged. "Please, it would look rather strange if someone with enough money to afford your services came down here looking like we actually had the money to purchase them, wouldn't it?"

"I guess you got a point there, so what the hell do you want lady?" The lead thug asked with what I guess he thought to be a charming grin, his gun returning to the back of his pants now that he thought the danger had passed. Oh if only he knew the danger was still very much right in front of him.

"I want to see your stock, to gauge for myself if my business wouldn't be wasted here. Then we'll talk, in private, about a going rate." I replied, and even went so far as to walk my long, pale fingers up the front of his shirt before grabbing his collar and pulling him close so that my breath tickled across his cheek. "I can be _very…_.persuasive." Overkill? Perhaps. But it got me in the door as if I had waved a stack of thousand dollar, nonsequential bills in the guy's face. My Presence was the real cause for my success, but I was too high on my success to care as the tattooed grunt before me grinned in response once I let him go.

Letting his eyes drink in my pale, covered curves and no doubt imagining all kinds of things he thought was going to happen before the night was over, he waved us all to follow after him. "I think I'm gonna like this. Let's go boys. Let's give the little lady what she wants." I will say this much, not every member of the man's entourage were stupid as one or two of them gave me uncomfortable glances, as if sensing something amiss with this whole thing, but they kept their mouths shut. Before I lost sight of the roof of the warehouse, I saw Jack bent over and silently laughing his ass off at how easily I had gotten in the front door before he disappeared, no doubt finding his own way inside.

I didn't notice his absence, because when we entered the warehouse, we soon passed through a back office, and went down into a warren of tunnels that ran the breadth and width of the block, likely much further, but my guides knew exactly where they were going. The sound of water in the distance caught my ear, but I didn't immediately register that amidst the mildew covered metal walls and rusty flecks of dust that floated on the stale air. It was the sound of quiet whimpering and soft cries that I could hear that had my full attention as we entered a large, sparsely furnished chamber that had been turned into a makeshift office space. The man behind the desk, which had a high powered computer situated on its top and an ashtray on his left side, waited to greet us. A large, metallic barred cage was just visible in a backroom behind the man, and it was here I saw the source of the feminine whimpering.

I was thankful I had stuck my hands in the pockets of my black hoodie, because I could feel my claws extending and soon enough, digging into the flesh of my pale palms. The pain gave clarity, but my anger was still present, and I had a target for my rage looking smug and proud of his work in this part of the city. Somehow I managed to keep an impassive look on my face though as I nodded my greeting to the ringleader of this illicit organization. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting?" The man asked, oozing charm yet the dangerous gleam in his little beady eyes said he'd just as soon shoot me than deal with me if I stepped in the wrong direction and still be able to sleep soundly that same night.

"Dismiss the audience, and we can talk business." I replied with a confidence I did not truly feel, but my instincts were screaming at me to maintain my confident appearance. "I have no interest in bargaining with you in front of your little cronies."

"A woman that knows what she wants and isn't afraid to demand it." The man replied, probably believing, and perhaps even rightly under normal circumstances, that he could handle me alone. With a nod, the thugs dispersed and left us alone, while the man behind the desk stood to his feet in one fluid motion. Shit. He moved with the confidence of someone that wasn't a stranger to violence, but how I knew that I couldn't tell you, unless I had gotten a flash of insight from my Auspex. Whatever the case, I remained impassive as ever as the man held out his right hand. "I am the proprietor of this establishment, and if we're to do business, I would have your name."

"So you can hunt me down if things don't go as planned? No thanks."

"Caution that is no doubt warranted, but we are both civilized people here, are we not?" I shrugged but nodded before grasping his offered limb, and squeezed just shy of breaking every bone in his hand. He seemed far more impressed than anything though, and nodded his approval before he gestured to the seat behind me as he took his own once more. "So, what can my organization do for you?" The fact he treated this whole business like a legitimate enterprise instead of the horrific affair it truly was wasn't lost on me. Easier to trade in human lives if you objectify those same people you're selling. In that sense, human traffickers aren't much different from vampires, an irony that wouldn't be lost on me later.

"I heard from a friend you offer….an unique service for the right price. As I told your attack dog out front, I might be in the market, but I don't deal with thugs, I deal with the men in charge. Are you who I'm after, or do I have to find the _real_ mastermind behind this little clubhouse?" Really? I am unsure, even to this day, how I got out of this mess with my face intact, but that seemed to work because the suited peddler of flesh only laughed in response.

"You have much bravery for someone so fully out of her element, but yes, you are dealing with the one in charge. But how do I know you're not a cop?"

"Feel free to strip search me if you want, I might even enjoy it." That took the guy off guard because he had the decency to look slightly uncomfortable for all of two seconds as my eyebrows shot up to my hairline in quite the suggestive manner. The tilt of my lips probably helped in that regard as I crossed my right leg over my left knee, and even through my pants, my long leg was on full display. And he followed the movement like a snake being hypnotized by a charmer. I had him eating out of the palm of my hand, and I knew the reason why, and a part of me reveled in the power I had over this pathetic excuse of human flesh. "Besides if I were with the cops, I would have called them down on you by now. After all, I can hear your merchandise. Not that you did a very good job of hiding them."

"Hmph." Turning to face the backroom, the man shouted something in a foreign language, and the women in their cage immediately fell silent before turning to face me once more. "I would still have you searched, just in case, something that should have been done before you were allowed down here, but I suppose you have a point. Doesn't mean I won't take unnecessary risks however." Pulling out a wand, one that looked like it belonged to a security guard at an airport terminal, he ordered me to stand to my feet before he waved it over my arms, legs, and eventually both sides of my torso before seeming satisfied with the results. "No bugs, no weapons, you truly are brave to come down here without even a sidearm."

"I'm more dangerous than you believe." It was the only truthful thing I had said yet, but he took it as a bluff and chuckled in response. I went with it since it was easier in the long run.

"If you say so." He said patronizingly and smiled sickly at me. "So let's talk business, what do you need? And more importantly, how do you expect to pay?"

"I haven't even decided if I'm going to waste good money on you yet. Let me see what you have first." That it turned out was a bad idea for me, because the suited ringleader was all too happy to show off his 'fine selection'. Leading me into the backroom, he once more shouted in that foreign language and the women in the cage lined up as best they could against the back of the metal box, presenting themselves while trying not to look anywhere near our faces.

Whatever control I had, whatever restraint I had started to crumble at this mockery, at this farce of humanity at my side. I was the monster?! I at least had the decency to wear my curse on my sleeve. This piece of human _filth_ on the other hand sidled up to the innocent and the downtrodden, made false promises to give them a better life in the states, and then locked them away like pieces of meat, only to be sold to the highest bidder. Once more, I was glad I had kept my hands in the pockets of my hoodie as I feigned looking over the women before me, one of them barely past her sixteenth birthday, before heading back to his office to 'discuss' the rest of our deal. Oh I was going to pay alright, but my method of payment was not going to be to his satisfaction.

I fell back as he led the way back into his office, and made it a point to shut the backroom door, separating us from the terrified women in their cage. It was only then I noticed that he had installed soundproofing at some point, no doubt to keep the noise down from the 'products' in the backroom, while he and his cronies were busy talking about their budding criminal enterprise. Just as well, because even if he managed to scream no one would hear him.

The predator within me was already coming up with ways of taking him and his cronies out, something I needed to do if I wanted any of those people trapped down here to survive. Looking up to a nearby dark corner of the faux office, I froze for a moment when I saw Jack staring back at me, but that was followed by immense relief as he slipped into the backroom without the bastard behind his desk noticing a thing. That was one less worry on my mind, which meant I wouldn't have to hold back when the fighting started, and even the rational part of my mind was coming to terms with the fact we weren't getting out of this without a lot of blood being spilt.

"So, how do you wish to do this?" The man asked, completely oblivious to the danger as I let my claws extend this time, and stay extended in the confines of my hoodie.

"I can think of a few ways, none of them pleasant for you." Before he could begin to move, I was halfway out of my seat, and reaching for the front of the man's dark gray suit. He gave a short, pained gasp as my claws dug into his chest as I grabbed hold, and pulled him across his desk, scattering the few items that were between us.

"Wh-what are you?!" He gasped, far more enraged than terrified, but I could smell his budding terror as he met my gaze that unbeknownst to me, had started to lose their alluring blue eyed charm, only to be replaced by something darker, _much_ darker. Fumbling about for the gun he had on his right hip, my right hand grabbed his arm and slammed his hand onto the desk hard enough to snap something. He yelped but I had to give this guy credit, his tolerance for pain was better than I would have imagined.

"I'm figuring that out myself you sack of human shit." I hissed, my pale face contorting to something closer to an animal's as all that anger and rage started to take over, an image only enhanced as my canines lengthened and became pointed, prominently displayed from my upper teeth.

My instincts were demanding for me to drain him dry. While I wasn't hungry per say, I was far from full, so sucking on his arteries until there was nothing left was more than a passing thought, it was an appealing one. But I couldn't kill him, not right away. I would need as much money as I could get once his friends noticed that something was wrong. I wasn't stupid, I had watched enough cop shows to know how this would likely go, regardless if I killed this guy or not. Bullet wounds didn't heal themselves after all, well they kinda did, but they still needed blood to do so. That and having money would ensure I could buy myself something to protect my own hide, let alone anyone that was with me should the rest of this group were to track me down. To that end, I made it a point to keep the man's head pinned to the desk until I was behind him, before yanking him up by the back of his neck. "Now we're going to make a deal, except this is going to be very one sided."

"Fuck you." He spat out, all of that business school charm having flown in the face of having the tables turned. My answer was to smash his head against his desk.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that." I replied sweetly, but the hand on the back of his neck tightened its hold to the point I was sure if I applied any more pressure, I'd snap his neck like a twig.

He must have realized it as well because the next words out of his mouth were far more worried for his personal wellbeing. "What the hell do you want from me?!"

"Everything." I hissed in his ear. "I want every dime you've ever made selling your fellow man like pieces of cattle. I want the names of those you've sold to, addresses, places of business, I don't care. If you satisfy my demands, you _might_ walk out of this with the use of your legs." Movie inspired bravado, sue me. I was new at this intimidation stick.

But it got my point across, although my display of supernatural ability helped a great deal no doubt. "Might? What the hell? Do you think I am an idiot?" He growled out, a fresh bruise already forming on his cheek from where I had slammed his face into the unyielding desk.

"Yes, but that's beside the point. Point is that if you do what I say you have a _chance_ to survive, deny me and you will die for certain." I replied although the part about letting him live was a lie, I was far too enraged to let him walk out of here, but I also wasn't stupid. He'd seen my face, and Masquerade or not, I couldn't let him walk. But even if I didn't appreciate the importance of keeping my existence a secret, chances were Jack would have cleaned up my mess if I didn't do it myself. But as I said, I was too pissed off to think clearly, and it showed on my face as it twisted further in on itself, partly from the power of my Presence which inspired supernatural terror in the guy I had by the scruff of his neck, partly from my own undead nature.

So, what did he do? What do you think he did? He gave me everything, downloaded it all onto a USB drive and gave it to me without further complaint. As for the money, well, that was a little more complicated because I hadn't had an offshore account prepared for this part. I hadn't even anticipated needing one, how could I, or anything of the sort beyond my own meager holdings, and I wasn't about to give him my real name. Instead he set up a dead drop with one of his minions, shouting orders in that foreign language he'd used to silence the women in the back before I took his cellphone and stomped it under my foot once it was done. The people on the other side were probably suspicious, but I didn't care. I had gotten what I needed to make life very difficult for those that had used his services, and now it was just a matter of finishing the job here.

To that end, I dragged the whimpering mess of a man, my supernatural Presence still very much in effect as waves of terror rolled off of me as I ripped open the backdoor and we saw that the cage was empty. Jack had done his job, but I was too far gone to care. Throwing him into his own cell that smelled of shit, piss, and desperation, I bent the bars around the door just enough to ensure he wouldn't be getting out without a blowtorch. I wasn't done though, oh no. Spotting a gascan on a tool shelf, an idea started to form in my enraged mind. I was going to kill him while making sure he had just a glimpse of being trapped like an animal in a cage like those he had sold into slavery. Poetic, if you think about it, but it also went perfectly with the Toreador frame of mind when it comes to revenge and vengeance. Brujah might be fighters, feared soldiers and rebels, but they have nothing on a Toreador when it comes to getting sweet, sweet vengeance on their enemies. I didn't know this yet, but that sociopathic need to correct what I felt was a true, monstrous injustice wasn't entirely my own desire.

Not that it mattered. I had seen the proof of his depravity, his greed, and even if the cursed blood in my veins didn't demand his death, I might have gone through with it anyway. That and again, while I didn't fully understand the need of the Masquerade, of maintaining our secret, he had seen too much, so even if I had been in my right mind, I would have had to do something to ensure he wouldn't start running his mouth. So, I picked up the gas can, and brought it to the cage before beginning to upend the contents all over the cage and the ground around it. All the while the ringleader, the scumbag I had pushed around, whimpered and begged for his life.

It wasn't until he pulled out his wallet and held up a picture of his wife and two little girls that I stopped, frozen like a statue. That all that blind, driving rage faded away like a flame being smothered under a wet blanket. I stumbled back, and had to look away as if he had pulled a cross instead of a picture of his family, but it might as well have had the same effect despite the fact Samuel had told me that crosses had no power over vampires. I couldn't see him as a human being though, because doing so would ensure I didn't light the match on his makeshift funeral pyre. It didn't help that he was begging for his life, albeit in his native language, but I didn't need to understand him to know what he was saying as he waved his wallet, the picture tucked into the money clip on prominent display, as if trying to ward me off with the innocent smiles of his family. It almost worked too.

Until I stepped back and looked at the cage as a whole, and remembered why I was there in the first place. Of why I had lost my shit so thoroughly that I had been prepared to burn him alive. When I moved forward this time after tossing the gascan, now empty of its liquid accelerant, I snatched the wallet out of his grasp and tossed it aside as well before hissing as I closed the gap between us, my right hand shooting through the bars to grab him by the front of his suit once more. "You should have thought of them before you got into this business." Tossing him back far harder than was probably necessary, he hit the back side of the cage with a grunt, but I was already on the move. Finding a lighter was easy, since there had been a card game within easy reach of the cage, and picking up the forgotten item, I flicked it on, ensuring the piece of scum in his own cage saw his death coming before I flicked my wrist. The lighter flew from my pale fingers as I left the backroom the same way Jack and the girls had already taken, but I didn't get out of there before the screams started.

It was easy to follow their trail since the stink of the humans Jack had let free wasn't hard to miss in the dark, nearly pitch black tunnels. Even as the ringleader's screams were joined by those of his cronies as they tried to save him, only to get caught in the blaze themselves, I trudged on, determined to put as much distance between me and that dark place as possible. The darker side of my nature was cheering my success, of having so utterly destroyed that piece of human filth and his operation, while my far more human nature was sickened, appalled, and disgusted with what I'd done down there, and it was that side of my nature I was giving ground to as I stumbled out of the tunnel after climbing a flight of stairs. I dry heaved and whimpered as I collapsed to the ground to my hands and knees, torn between wanting to scream and break down into self loathing induced sobbing.

It didn't take Jack long to find me as he gave me a sad and understanding look. "Sorry, but you had to understand."

"Understand _what_? That I'm a monster now?" I wailed in emotional agony. "That I have this...thing inside me that demanded I burn that place to the ground?!" Even though the fire had yet to spread to the surface, the smell of smoke was starting to fill the air, and I was sure I could see the flickering of flames in the few windows facing our direction.

"No, you're just no longer human. Doesn't mean you're a monster though. That's up to you." When he knelt down next to me, Jack nodded to where we could just make out the sounds of police sirens in the distance. "You coulda killed them all kid, but you chose to get those girls outta there first. I just followed your lead. Figured that'd be what you wanted, and I was right. Nah, a real monster wouldn't have given two licks about those girls. Hold onto that spark kid, it'll get you farther than most of the suckhead society will ever believe."

"How? I just burned them all to ash, I-I can still hear their screams, and the worst part is a part of me feels like it was justice!" I shot back, unable to believe his words. "How can I even walk among humans without endangering them?"

"You manage with Sammy just fine don't ya?" I started to open my mouth only to shut it since he was right, but that wasn't the point, or so I wanted to shout at him. Before I could argue the point though, Jack stood to his full height and held out a hand to me, which I batted away. He nodded, seeming unsurprised by my actions, and shrugged. "Yeah, we're all monsters kid, but we're still people. Some of us just want to get by best we can like anyone else, but I'll admit, most vamps aren't exactly pillars of the community. People like you though, the girl I helped out in Santa Monica, you're the ones that make this whole thing worth it to old Jack, because you actually try to keep hold of what makes ya human. Most people who get Embraced are all too eager to dive headfirst into their more predatory natures, and then you get assholes like Charles running things, willin' to stab each other in the back just to get ahead of his peers. Those are the real monsters kid."

Something about the way he said that reminded me of what I had ran into in that slaver's den. I was still emotionally destroyed perhaps, but something about what Jack had said made sense. Who knew how many people that man had stomped on to get to where he was, of how many lives he had shattered. He would have made a good vampire, to say the least, if Embraced by the likes of Charles, a Ventrue fuck if there ever was one. But more importantly, I had gotten a glimpse of a truth vampires knew better than anyone. You didn't need to be a true monster to be one. Meaning, he might have only been human, but he was more monstrous than I was, something I had started to understand in those moments of clarity I had had during my rage while I had begun to set up his pyre. It didn't help my mood, not right away, but it got me back to something resembling rational thought.

"We should get out of here." I decided as the police sirens got louder as they grew closer. I could make out the distinct sound of a fire engine coming our way as well, but it didn't matter. We'd be gone well before they got there.

Jack nodded in approval and offered a small smile. "That's the spirit, enough of this touchy stuff. Let's get out of here." I didn't respond, instead I simply pushed myself to my feet and raced away as best I could with Jack easily keeping pace. Before long, we were back by the van, and a much relieved Samuel was there to greet us. "Sammy, glad to see you kept the van warm, kid."

It wasn't until we got close that I heard the police scanner. Why Samuel had a police scanner in his van, I didn't bother to question. I just went with it as radio chatter filled the silence, until Samuel turned to face Jack head on, his hand straying to the pistol at his side. Not that it'd do him any good, but the gesture wasn't lost on either of us. "Cut the shit Jack, what did you do?! Wait, let me rephrase that, what did you set into motion this time?!"

"I just pointed our friend in the right direction. She's the one that lit the match." Jack said and shrugged in response. Even as he threw me under the bus, although it was also the truth, he also looked almost apologetic for what he had instigated since make no mistake, he had instigated it. He'd known full well what he was doing and it had played out pretty much as he'd expected and hoped. "She did pretty good too, got into that slaver's den without so much as scratching someone's eyes out, and had yours truly get a cage full of girls out of danger while she took care of business."

Samuel raised an eyebrow but didn't relax his grip on the silenced pistol on his side until I stepped between them. "He's right….I did it. I burned the place down." I admitted, and almost sagged under the weight of all I'd done in the last half hour. Nevermind I had balanced that out by ensuring those women had gotten out of danger first, I still murdered those people. It didn't matter they had been perfectly willing to sell people into slavery, a fate worse than death in some respects, their blood was still on my hands, and a part of me still reveled in it.

If I had expected Samuel to be repulsed by my actions though, I was once more disappointed and surprised as he relaxed and shook his head before glaring daggers at Jack. "And this is why I didn't want you anywhere near us Jack. You knew exactly how this would play out, and you watched the fireworks. That's what you do. Charles _is_ going to hear about this."

The threat, and that's what it sounded like to me even then, didn't have any effect on Jack as he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Go ahead kid, I survived this long, outlasted LaCroix and a few other suckheads like him. What's one more?"

"You think I'm gonna rat you out?" Samuel asked in disgust and shook his head. "I won't, because while you might be an ass, I won't be responsible for a blood hunt on your head. Unfortunately for you, I won't need to. Do you really think that arrogant ass got into his position because he was retarded? For all his arrogance, he knows how things work, I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't already aware of your presence." Shaking his head in disgust once more, Samuel sighed before ripping open the passenger side door for me. "I am going to say this though Jack." He began as I climbed into the van. "Come near us again, and I'll do more than shout your ear off."

Jack remained silent as we drove away, but as we started to turn the corner, I saw him give us a jaunty wave before we left him behind. It wouldn't be the last time I'd see the powerful Anarch vampire. Samuel meanwhile was silently fuming behind the wheel, once more surprising me because I got the impression he was angry at himself for allowing Jack a chance to get under my skin as he did, even if the vamp's intentions had been noble….ish. Even though Jack _did_ end up giving me the skills necessary to make it through my first week, and the nights afterwards, it wasn't without purpose, but more on that later. Let's just say those slavers we torched, or more accurately those slavers Jack had pointed me at, had friends, a lot of friends.

But I was beyond caring, my hands shaking as I stared dumbly at my pale digits. The flecks of blood from having dug my claws into that man's chest disgusted me more than anything, a reminder of what I'd done even if, again, it was well deserved in their case. Samuel at least knew what I needed, even if it was the last thing I wanted as we pulled up to a hospital, of all places. Pulling into an empty spot in the parking garage, he shut the van down before producing a handkerchief from his person and handed it to me. "I'll be right back. You need a drink, and I doubt throwing a person at you right now would help." That got my attention, having never heard that someone could swing by their local blood bank and make a withdrawal, rather than a deposit. Seeing my incredulous look, Samuel managed a small chuckle. "It's not exactly takeout, but it'll get you by in a pinch."

The joke got a weak, much needed laugh out of me. "Think you can get a bloody mary for me while you're at it?" I shot back, which earned a relieved snort from my caretaker.

"I'll see what I can do." He countered as he got out before turning to face me, half in and out of the driver's side. "You're going to be alright Alex. Just give it time." I nodded, unable to do more than that as Samuel left to pick up a bag of blood for me. I have no idea how I'd have made it without him. I know I've probably said that before, but it's the truth.

On that note, I had no idea how he dealt with this world of the supernatural, or how he was even introduced to it, but he seemed to navigate it with ease. He wasn't a direct part of it, he wasn't even a ghoul after all, but from his place at the sidelines, he saw a lot of things that most others failed to see. Whatever the case might have been, Samuel soon returned, a white plastic hinged box, which gave me the mental image of him carrying a box from Pizza Hut or some other fast food place, under his arm which he soon enough passed to me as I handed over the handkerchief about the same time, having gotten my hands clean as much as possible while he'd been gone. As promised, there was at least two, good sized transfusion bags inside, cold and fresh right from the freezer. At my renewed incredibility, Samuel shrugged in response. "They were out of bloody marys, so I got the next best thing." Was his reply before he sighed. "I think it goes without saying the Camarilla has a pretty wide, very long, reach."

I had no idea just how far that reach went, but I was going to find out in the days to come. Drawn out of my thoughts when his cellphone went off, Samuel sighed, answered it, and had the van started as he carried a conversation with whoever was on the other end. "Yeah we'll be there soon." Putting his phone down, Samuel blew out an annoyed breath. "It seems your trial has been decided. We'll to head to Catherine's penthouse. Better drink up, you're gonna need it." Great. Could this night get any worse?

Here's some advice, the moment you think that it can't, you'll be proven wrong every time.

 **End Notes:** _We seem to have a thing for punishing our characters at every turn don't we? I do apologize for the rather dark turn this took, but it seemed appropriate to have a 'tutorial level' of sorts with ol Jack playing the part of helpful 'guide', while also pushing his own agenda further, whatever that might be. On the other hand, this IS set within the World of Darkness setting, so that's to be expected I imagine. At any rate, we hope to see you guys again. Adios!_


	3. Devil in the Details

**Chapter 3: Devil in the Details**

Toreador estates, and their penthouse variants, are pretty much the same no matter where you are in the world. The architecture might change, but the beauty of their homes remain the same, and trust me, when you've had a couple centuries to accumulate wealth and art from around the world, some created by your own hands, there's no mistaking a Toreador home. Catherine's place was no different, but her poison of choice was music. Everything from Bach to Beethoven to Mozart, didn't matter, she had it all, and the instruments to match all of the great composers' greatest moments in their careers. And I noticed as once again, Samuel was 'politely' asked to stay downstairs in the lobby of Catherine's building while I was told to head to the top floor by the security guard.

Problem with being a Toreador, beyond the fact we have a sociopathic tendency for revenge that makes the Brujah run the other way, we notice art, beauty, and while it's purely subjective on the person involved, we tend to get lost in whatever we find beautiful. And when I say we get lost, I mean we literally get lost, sometimes for hours at a time. It's because we remember what it is to be alive, to feel warm, to breathe, to….feel human. It's our curse, kinda sad honestly, if you want my opinion. As much as I loath what I've become, I also respect it for what it's done, even if the vast majority of the 'suckheads' as Jack calls them are worse than that flesh peddler I put to the torch in one way or another. There are good ones though, like that vampire that took down LaCroix, in a manner of speaking, Jack, to an extent, and several others, but overall? Don't trust a vampire, some much more than others, especially if they're part of certain clans. The Antitribu, the inverse of the Camarilla clans, are the best examples of who not to trust, at all.

But getting back on track, finding myself in Catherine Boudreau's living room, and that was a pretty big understatement, given the size of her home at the top of one of New York's most expensive districts in Upper Manhattan, was like going back in time. The walls were covered in everything regarding the classics, pictures of the men themselves, their sheet music, original copies I've been told, put behind protective glass cases, set on stands, you name it. And as I said before, she had every instrument known to man, although she favored those you'd find in the opera houses of Paris, Sicily, places of that nature. I did find it curious later on that no one among the vampiric community got into the eastern continents much, but I wasn't aware of how dangerous China, Japan, etc, were to our kind. Few people among the undead community that goes to the East ever came back, so we avoid them like the plague.

However, my mind was far from such thoughts for I was occupied by the enchanting piano music that was echoeing down the hall towards me. I could not claim to know who the composer of this particular piece of music was or even its name, but at that moment I didn't care. I was drawn to the origin of the delightful sounds like a moth to the distant moon. The sounds led me to a door that stood ajar, light shining from the room which illuminated a small strip of the corridor I was in. I carefully pushed the door open and peeked in. Catherine stood next to a piano, grinning like the cheshire cat, wearing what appeared to be bathrobe, her hair down around her shoulders like silver, lustrous waves. And given the contented, pleased look on her face, I hazarded a guess that she had enjoyed more than the man's music talents, and I couldn't blame her given the guy's appearance.

For some reason a mere glance at him sent a shock of sudden desire through my body, in the most carnal way possible, and to make matters worse said man looked up and gave me a devilish smile. This caused Catherine to look up as well, though her smile lessened upon seeing me. "Ah, you are here… a bit earlier than I expected to be honest but no matter, I thank you for your haste." She said and made sure that her bathrobe was held in place as she moved closer to the grand piano, as if to silently convey that he was off limits to me.

"Oh, I wish she would have gotten here earlier. Why haven't you called her earlier my dear Catherine? We could have had so much fun together." The man said with a british accent, the grin never leaving his face. Apparently he either missed Catherine's possessive stance or he honestly didn't give a damn.

Whatever the case might have been, if I'd still been able to blush, I would have turned bright red at the shameless innuendo he placed in that statement. So I did the only thing I could do. I coughed and looked away uncomfortably, especially since a part of me was screaming at me to jump his bones right then and there, and damn the consequences.

"You have to forgive him, he puts things more bluntly than most people, but he is just such a talented piano player that I couldn't help myself and invited him over."

"Oh, Catherine! There is no reason to lie. You invited me because you wished to be taken in the most passionate way possible and I was the only one who could do that for you." He said, his eyes glinting in amusement. "Certainly made the trip worth it. And what is your name my dear?"

"A-Alexandria Watson, but I go by Alex." I stammered out, amazed that I'd been able to speak with such an open invitation just thrown into the air as if he were talking about the weather rather than having a threesome with two very dangerous vampires at the same time.

"It is such a pleasure to meet you, Alex." He replied and emphasized the word pleasure. "Perhaps we could get to know each other better before I have to leave?"

Despite my rampant case of wanting to rip his clothes off, I was fast recovering and managed a smile in return. "Sorry, but you'd be disappointed to know I'm not that interested in men."

That seemed to intrigue him more than turn him off for some reason as his eyebrows shot up to his hairline, that wicked grin only widening further. " _Really_? Well, should you ever change your mind, please do come visit me in Los Angeles. I am the owner of the Lux. Nice little place, I'm sure I could facilitate you quite nicely."

"I'll keep that in mind." I replied and gave him a shy smile. "Although, I never got your name." Ugh, what was wrong with me tonight?! You'd think I had never burned down a den of slavers with the way I was all but drooling over this guy that I had only just met! To make matters worse, I was pretty sure I could hear Catherine grinding her teeth in the background as the guy fawned over me. She was not going to let me forget this even if he'd started it.

Now his own grin stretched into that of a cheshire cat and the amusement in his eyes was more evident than ever. "Of course, how rude of me. I am Lucifer Morningstar." He took my hand and placed a soft kiss on the knuckles. "And believe me my dear, the pleasure is all mine."

My heart would have stopped beating if it hadn't already at the smoldering look he gave me along with his charming smile. Though no matter how charming he was and how much I wanted to throw him down and take full advantage of him, something warned me that this guy was dangerous, far more dangerous than any entity I have met so far or would likely ever encounter.

"L-like the devil?" I managed to gasp out instead, rather flustered by the whole ordeal.

"The very same." Lucifer said and graced me with another smile that made it all the harder to resist the temptation. I have nothing against men, I just had never found them all that interesting, yet one look from him and I was ready to throw myself at his feet? What was this about?! Not that I cared in that particular moment, too lost in that smoldering look that had all of my nerves singing in joyous rapture just from being in his presence. If he could do that with a look….well, I'm sure you get the idea. "Like I said, if you ever change your mind…" He left the rest of the sentence hanging and turned to Catherine. The building anger behind her eyes disappeared in a flash when he turned to face her fully, and she was all smiles once more. "My dear I will take my leave. A lovely detective is waiting on my triumphant return and I fear I've lingered here long enough. I'm sure you two have a lot to discuss anyway. If your guest wishes to join us afterwards I would most certainly not object."

Oh I bet he wouldn't. Catherine, who had a hard time keeping the smile on her face, most certainly would though. "I'll keep that in mind." She managed to press out without sounding close to a jealously induced frenzy. "I shouldn't be long, this will only take a few minutes… afterwards we can continue our own… discussion."

Picking up his coat, Lucifer shot me one last grin before leaving us to our discussion. I had a bad feeling however that Catherine was in a far more murderous mood. I wasn't far off the mark either, but she didn't lash out, at least not directly, that wouldn't have been very Toreador like after all.

Instead, she swallowed that jealous rage of hers and sidled up to the piano, cool as you please. "It's so good to see you, how was your first day as a Kindred?" She asked me with a smile, although I felt like she was asking me why hadn't I choked on something and died yet.

Deciding to play it her way, I simply smiled and shrugged. "It could have been worse I suppose." It was probably better to not mention that whole burning human traffickers thing, but I didn't want to mention that to anyone anyway. "Samuel said that you wished me to undergo my first trial?" I asked instead, hoping to steer the conversation to the matter at hand lest one of us bare their fangs.

"So I did." She said with another grin, though this one lacked any kind of warmth. Which was really unfair because Lucifer had been flirting with _me_ , not the other way around. Just my luck that the first man I find attractive was getting me into trouble without even trying. "I'm sure you will do _just_ fine." Right, that's why I don't think you're about to send me on a suicide mission of some kind. Whatever I might have said to that, Catherine didn't give me time to ponder as she turned on her heel and walked to a nearby cabinet, before pulling down a folder from the shelf. Coming back to the piano, she let the vanilla folder slap down on the black surface and slid it over to me. Inside was a picture of, and I kid you not, a Stradivarius violin. An _original_ Stradivarius. I might not be a music lover like Catherine, I might not have understood its true value as she did, but even I know how treasured such a violin was, how much they're worth. Because as much as my mother might have been a bible thumping religious zealot in her way, she also had a thing for music, and she had often told the tale of having seen a Stradivarius during a family trip to Europe when she was a girl herself.

"So what do you want me to do with this exactly?" I asked, once I had taken in the picture of the violin, the papers attached telling of its authenticity, among other details of the same. Where it had been found, its history, and how much it had cost her to acquire it, and my god was it expensive. It was no surprise she had been able to afford it, but that wasn't the point.

Catherine gave a world weary sigh in return as she crossed her arms over her chest without so much as wrinkling her bathrobe. "It was stolen from me before I was able to add it to my collection. I know who has it, but not where they're keeping it. I paid for it, had it ready to transport to my home here, and it was taken once it reached New York. Not only is it a rare and valuable antique from an age past, but it's the principle of the thing itself. I cannot let this theft stand, so I want you to get it back, and deal with the thief, _permanently_."

And this is why I hate vampire politics. They're no better than humans when it comes to snubbing each other. Except vampires aren't afraid to kill each other if it suits their purposes, like an undead version of the Game of Thrones if you want a modern comparison. And fledglings and ghouls and their lesser servants always ended up getting the shit jobs like this. The reason's simple. We have no allies, no one to call on to help us if we get into trouble, and no one respects us or expects us to survive long enough to become problematic, our elders can use and dispose of us as the need arises without consequence in most cases. Anything we do can be blamed on our own 'poor judgment'. Like sacrificing a pawn in chess, just that a pawn is usually regarded as more useful than a fledgling since it is the most adaptable piece on the board.

And even then I knew I couldn't tell Catherine no even if I wanted to, and I about did since I wasn't stupid. Instead I sighed, read over the pertinent details of the item I was being 'asked' to retrieve, before looking up to the Queen Bitch herself. "Alright, who has it and where should I start looking?"

The cheshire grin made a comeback, and this time, it was leveled upon me. "That's easy, darling Alex. Some of these disgusting Nosferatu have dared to trespass into my domain… they were good, but overlooked some things. I have pictures of them, fledgling fools that they were, save for their more experienced elders. I want you to find these fledglings, get them to talk, and then dispose of a few. That should make clear that I will not be trifled with."

"I'll do my best." What else was I supposed to say?

"Excellent, in that case I will expect that you will not disappoint." Catherine said and looked at me in a way that told me that I would prefer a Final Death rather than her getting her fingers on me should I fail.

"I'll do my best." I repeated more firmly, though for a very brief moment I considered defying her in some way… probably by saying I wanted in on the bedroom fun with Lucifer. Which would have been a really bad idea, so I thought better of it, and so I kept my tongue in check by some small miracle. I did breathe a little easier even as another little pleasant tingle shot down my spine when I saw Lucifer leaning, casual as you please, against the side of the elevator when I left Catherine's home. "Lucifer?"

He chuckled and nodded just as the elevator opened and allowed us to board. Good god, what had I gotten myself into?! "Going down?" He asked, smug and looking as if he already knew the answer, which of course he did since we were already on the top floor.

 _Smug, insufferable… sexy, and incredibly… where was I going with this.. Ah yes! Bastard!_ I managed to think halfway coherently, while I nodded in reply. As for the elevator itself, it seemed to be taking forever to reach the ground floor, and the uncomfortable silence between us was doing my nerves any favor.

"Now my dear, one last thing." He said as the elevator slowed. I turned to him when he didn't immediately continue and locked eyes with him. "I'm curious, what do you desire?"

Say what you want about a Ventrue's ability to Dominate someone into doing what they want, or a Toreador's ability to draw everyone to them with their Presence, or to repel them with such force that they run away screaming, but this guy… it took me less than the quarter of a second to break. "Y-you." I stammered against my will, more than a little mortified by the confession, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Many do, so that's not unusual. I'm walking heroin, it doesn't end well. No, I'm after something deeper. Something that you want so bad but don't want anyone to know." He said his grin slowly broadening as he looked at me.

What I said next shouldn't surprise anyone by this point since again, whatever this guy was, whatever he was doing to me, it was working and I couldn't resist his power even if I had been an elder vampire. "Eliza…" I whispered in a small voice.

Intrigued by my answer, Lucifer leaned over me, one hand above my head as he put his weight against the wall. "Who is this Eliza? What do you want from her?" He pressed on though he did so gently. Even though he was gentle, he was more compelling than even the most powerful vampires I have met since or have ever heard about. No surprise, given who he was, but there's no need to spill the beans on that revelation just yet. Especially since I very much wouldn't have believed it at that point, no I only heard the truth later and I didn't believe it for a very long time.

Anger boiled up as I saw her face flash before my blue eyes. Of all the things she had taken from me even as a part of me had wanted her to do so much more than she had. "I want to know why she did this to me. I want to rip her face off, to make her feel even a shred of this anguish she's left me with." I spat out through teeth clenched so tightly I was surprised they didn't break before I felt my anger just fade away, only to be replaced by loss so profound that I'm surprised that I didn't break down again. I had no more tears to shed though, but that didn't stop me from speaking anyway. "I….want to hold her again, to know she's still there, but she _isn't_. She was dusted and I didn't...I couldn't even say….damn it what are you doing to me?!" I shouted, and whatever hold he had over me disappeared but I wasn't aware of it as I pushed him away.

Given my vampiric strength, he should have been crushed into the elevator's side and severely dented it, or at least broken some of his bones on impact. Lucifer however merely stumbled back a bit, probably more out of surprise by my sudden aggressiveness than my actual push. He recovered just as quickly though and brushed off a speck of imaginary dust from his right shoulder. "I have a talent to draw out the secret desires of people. Keeping all of that pent up is quite unhealthy you know?"

"And living through this agony is?" I snapped back, fully aware he was in the know by this point so I didn't have to hold anything in check. He'd been banging Catherine after all, so it was pretty safe to assume he knew exactly what we were.

"Even though it doesn't feel like it, yes. Because now that you have admitted it to yourself you can better deal with it. Otherwise it could have destroyed you." He replied, any sign of cheer gone, completely serious for the first time since we'd met. "It would be a shame to see you wither away because of something like that."

The doors opened a moment later with a loud ring and I looked at them, startled by the sudden interruption. When I looked back Lucifer was gone, disappeared into thin air as if he was never there to begin with. Except he was waiting by the front door, his smile subdued but still there as he waited for me to catch up, holding the door open for me no less. I slowed my walk so that I could glare daggers up into his face, but beyond that I did nothing, said nothing else to him since he had already proven how dangerous he was in the elevator. If only I knew what else he could have done if he'd been in the mood, I might not have been so quick to hiss in his face on my way by. They say Hell hath no fury more powerful than a woman scorned, well, they haven't met Lucifer Morningstar.

"Well my dear, this has been a most fascinating night. Good luck on whatever errand Cat's sent you on. Perhaps we'll meet again?" He called to my back, only to frown when I shot him the bird over my shoulder. "So naughty, my kind of lady! The people you meet when you're undead, need I say more?" I turned to look at him, for some reason shocked that he so casually mentioned my unliving life conditions. "What? You thought I didn't know?" He asked directly and started to laugh. "Oh that is just too good, I am definitely keeping my eyes on you my dear."

"Please don't." Was what I said, but my more instinct based side screamed 'hell yes!'. Still I rolled my eyes at him, doing my best to act as disinterested as I could, which wasn't saying a lot in his presence, but still, I tried. This time when he disappeared when I was busy blinking I wasn't even too surprised, I had come to expect something like this by then. The black convertible that rolled by out of the parking lot, Lucifer behind the wheel, didn't surprise me either as he shot me one last smug grin before driving off into the night. I remembered that he had said that he would wait for Catherine… and then he was in the elevator with me and left at the same time… I was so screwed.

With a tired, drawn out sigh, I stomped my way to Samuel's van, my mood as dark as ever, and slammed the door behind me that I was surprised I didn't bend it out of whack. Thankfully I hadn't broken anything, and grumbled out an address to begin the search for Catherine's damned violin. The sooner we got this shit done the better, preferably without anything else weird happening to me. No such luck on that part, but as I said last round, just when you think it can't get any worse, life will find a way to stiff you, and not in a fun way.

Going after the Nosferatu isn't like going after the Ventrue or the Toreador or even the Giovanni. They're monsters in appearance, so they can't, under the rules of the Masquerade, make any public appearances. As such, they tend to stick to the shadows, the sewers, abandoned buildings, places most people avoid like the plague. That's not to say they act like monsters however, they're oddly enough some of the nicer people you'll meet, well...most of them are anyway. Some make it a point to turn people they feel deserve to become hideous monsters themselves because they're too vain, too beautiful, things of that nature. The Samedi, a dark variant on the Nosferatu clan, aren't so kind though, and they're more monstrous in appearance than the Nosferatu are, but that was neither here nor there. The Nosferatu I was after were like me, fledglings, and so luckily they hadn't mastered their clan's ability to blend in with the shadows on command. They still weren't easy to find though.

Indeed, it would be most unpleasant to find them, I would have to go into the sewers and look, and I doubted that the other Nosferatu would be too welcoming to my appearance, especially not with me being sent to kill some of them. Perhaps I could convince them to give back the violin, fake a few deaths and everyone lives happily ever after… yeah right, as if. Besides, there was one thing I needed before I went anywhere, and thankfully Samuel, ever the vigilant ally, was as always, on top of things as we pulled up in front of a pawnshop. Having told him what Cat-Catherine wanted me to do, he only nodded and let me sulk in silence as he took charge. "The owner owes me a favor." Was all he said as he made sure I had a fresh helping of those two blood bags we had picked up earlier before sending me inside with an envelope full of cash. "Have fun." He offered, but the serious gleam in his eyes didn't match the smile on his face.

Raising an eyebrow, I decided it was better not knowing where he'd gotten the money, or where he'd been keeping it this whole time, which reminded me I still had a dead drop to pick up at some point, and walked the short distance between the van and the front door of the shop. I shouldn't have been surprised the store's clerk, a kid that couldn't have been older than eighteen, nineteen tops, took one look at me and let his jaw hit the floor. I sighed and rolled my eyes, in no mood to be ogled even if it was kinda funny in a way in hindsight. "Wh-what can I do for you?"

"You can stick your tongue back in your mouth for one." I grunted back before leaning on the counter, which proved to be an error in judgment since I exposed more than a little cleavage to the kid despite my black hoodie doing a great deal to conceal those same assets, which caused his brain to shut down. Hopefully I hadn't permanently damaged anything in there, which was very likely since a cynical part of my mind was certain there wasn't a lot to damage in the first place. "Hey, eyes up front." I said, and snapped my fingers under his nose until he blinked and nodded his head rapidly. "Do I have your attention now or do I have to slap some sense into you?"

I got a dazed nod in reply and sighed in annoyance. "Alright, you asked for this." With that I gave him a slap, careful not to hit him too hard, not just because he was a human and I'm a vampire, but also because I didn't want to get famous for beating up overly hormonal kids. That'd be about my luck, I get arrested for disorderly conduct or something stupid along those lines. It got my point across in any event though as the store clerk rubbed at his left cheek and grimaced in no small amount of pain and embarrassment. "I warned you didn't I?"

"What do you want lady?" He pouted as his bottom lip quivered, looking on the verge of tears.

God, someone stake me now. Instead, I held up one of the bills in the envelope, and saw it was a hundred. I was just as surprised as he was when we realized how much money I was waving around, but the damage was done and besides, I was in need of protection. "I've heard you owe Samuel a favor."

Recognition came immediately and the teen grumbled something about Sammy saving his ass. That answered that question as the horny runt dived under the counter and came up with something that resembled a handcannon more than a simple nine mil pistol. "You're not afraid of a little kick I hope."

"No, why?" I asked as I gingerly picked up the heavy looking piece he'd set before me, half expecting it to bite me or something.

"Because that's a Desert Eagle, lady. Might be a bit much for you, even if you're….not normal." He hesitantly finished, no doubt aware he wasn't supposed to know, yet he took the chance to admit he knew as much to me. Foolish, but he didn't have to worry in my case. I raised my eyebrows in response, wondering just how much the kid knew about the supernatural world out there. He seemed to know my unspoken question since he answered it. "I got attacked once by… something. Samuel burned it with a Molotov cocktail. So I owed him, or I did until you walked in. The gun's on the house, ammo ain't." I nodded, not all that surprised he was bartering even as he repaid a debt to a mutual friend of ours. The gun would have been far more expensive anyway, so I was still getting the better deal in the end even though by the time we got the ammo situation sorted out, along with a new cellphone, a knife, and a set of lockpicks, just in case, there was still a considerable hole in the envelope full of hundreds. I honestly don't know why I got the lockpicks, but I would be glad I did later.

I wasn't about to ask why this kid had enough ammo boxes behind the counter to choke a large dog, I was just happy to have them as I stuffed them in the pockets of my hoodie along with the Eagle itself. "Thanks, see you around kid." I told him and walked outside, determined to get this over with as soon as possible and send Samuel home while I played in the sewers. The poor guy had watched over me the whole day and most of the night, he deserved a little rest.

"Everything go alright?" Samuel asked, and when I presented the gun by pulling it out of my left pocket of my hoodie, he nodded in approval. "Derek might be a horny little git, but he's a good kid at heart. Only reason I had to save his life is because he picked up a Follower of Set for a….night in. Let's just say snake lady wanted more than he was willing to give." He offered in way of explanation even though I hadn't asked, but I had been curious all the same.

"Ah… I'll just pretend to know that I know what a Follower of Set is. Although I think I can make an educated guess and say that they are bad news." I snarked at him with a small smile to show him that I wasn't mad or anything with him. My bad mood had nothing to do with him, and the small smirk he shot my way said he had gotten the hint.

"Very bad news." He agreed seriously and once more had us on our way. "To make a movie reference I'm sure you'll get, remember the Mummy 2 with all those zealots in red following after everyone's favorite undead priest? They're like that, just more...fanatical, and they have a thing for snakes. Some are vampires, some are ghouls, some are completely human, all of them are utterly devoted to the evil Egyptian god Set, and that makes them very dangerous because they aren't afraid to die. Problem is, it's almost impossible to identify them at a glance because they know how to blend in."

"So they're all 'Hail Set!' ala Hydra?" I asked, unable to help but draw comparisons between the MCU's version of Hydra, an evil organization utterly devoted to bringing order to the world by any means necessary, and these Setites from what little Samuel had told me. They too had an almost religious zeal in their beliefs that they were doing the right thing, that they were on the only course that made sense. It wasn't entirely accurate, but it wasn't entirely wrong either to compare Hydra to the Followers of Set.

"Pretty much." Samuel replied and once more shuddered as unpleasant memories filtered through his thoughts.

It took some time, but eventually, we came upon a diner, a very small, very old, and abandoned diner, covered in graffiti and all but tumbling down. If not for the simple fact it was smushed between two far bigger buildings, I doubt Kullman Diner's, once known as the Lunchbox, the Terminal Diner, and several other names, having gone through several different owners over the years, would've still been standing. Built and established during the 1950s, Kullman's Diner was finally shut down in 2006, three years after LaCroix met his end at the hands of a freshly Embraced woman that just did not know how to die, no matter what he asked her to do to achieve that very goal. But again I get ahead of myself. Suffice it to say, the diner itself wasn't the point, since it was far too small to be a haven for anyone, but it was what was underneath that I wanted.

Having made it a point to stop by a internet cafe on our way to the diner, I had been able to set up my new cell, and as such, I had Samuel's number on speed dial. As such, I had no idea how long I'd be wandering around in the sewers, but before I could even suggest that he go home, Samuel only smiled and got out before I could. "Don't even think about it Alex. I had time to take a nap while you were out, so you ain't getting rid of me that easily."

"Uh, no offense but we are going up against full-blown vampires, you sure you want to mess with that?"

"You might be a full fledged vamp now Alex, but you're no fighter. That's what I'm here for. 'Sides, have you ever used a gun before? And don't say Call of Duty because that doesn't count."

"Oh and you have?" I wanted to slap myself up my own head for forgetting the fact he'd shot me, something he was quick to remind me of.

The look I got in return told me that this was probably the dumbest question I could have asked. "Yeah… remember that time where I shot you? Besides if you're worried about me, then I am touched but I can take care of myself. With the right preparation, any human can kill a vampire. There's a reason why hunters are not so easily dismissed after all." That got my attention, but really, it shouldn't have because if vampires were real, why not vampire hunters? Sensing my hesitation, Samuel pushed his advantage as he pointed to the street corner, where I could just make out a camera connected to a street lamp. "They already know we're here anyway. Nosferatu are damn good hackers, technowizards, you name it. We're in the right place, but my point being, you'd be helpless without me."

"Bite me." I grumbled, but only because I knew he was right.

"I think that's more your job than mine. Anyway, I'd say we didn't come here to fight… or was I wrong?"

I sighed and scratched the back of my head as I started towards the diner's crumbling front facade. "No, I had no intention of fighting anyone. I'm hoping we can just talk things out and get Catherine's violin back. Besides, I got nothing against these guys until they piss me off like Charles the Cunt already has." I replied with a shrug of my shoulders even if the Ventrue in question made me want to twist his head off his shoulders. Stepping over piece of the door that had been broken off as we passed through the entryway, I looked to Samuel as he followed behind me. "I'm the new kid on the block anyway, if these guys are as smart as you say, they're probably expecting visitors." No sooner had the words left my mouth did a hatch in the backroom open up, a remote switch having been activated from the Nosferatu's den underneath the diner. We shared a look, before my hand fell to the Desert Eagle's grip. I had no intention of using it, but I wasn't taking a chance either.

Samuel shrugged once before he stepped forward and looked down into the hatch. "Looks like they want to talk… or just kill us out of sight. Anyway, we got nothing better to do."

"You might not but I had plans to write a book if I got out of this alive." I shot back, hoping to lighten the mood even as we descended into the darkness below the diner. Samuel produced a flashlight, along with his silenced pistol, and shone its beam ahead of us, but it did little more than annoy my night adapted eyes. Still, it helped him to see better so I wasn't about to tell him to shut it off.

"You any good?" He asked, genuinely curious as our eyes fell on an arrow that had been lit up in neon lights. The Nosferatu think it's hilarious to use scrap and the like to decorate their homes.

When I didn't immediately answer his question, Samuel stopped to look towards me, his gaze worried he had asked something he shouldn't have. I shook off the pain as best I could and managed a weak but reassuring smile. "Eliza seemed to think so."

"Perhaps, but I didn't ask her. What do _you_ think?" He replied and looked me in the eye. "You think you got talent or not? Does it make you happy?"

"Can we talk about this when we aren't in the middle of a potentially dangerous situation?" I asked, finding it rather strange he was asking about this in the middle of us trying to find Catherine's lost property.

"Avoiding the subject, why am I not surprised?" He mock pouted, only to chuckle when I slammed my elbow into his side which only made him laugh. "And you're physically abusive, oh how did I end up with such a cruel mistress as you?"

"I'll give you cruel mistress." I grumbled between my teeth yet I couldn't help but smile anyway as we continued to press forward into the darkened tunnels. We hadn't hit the sewers yet, but I could already smell them in the distance. Raw sewage is hard to miss, especially when you've got a nose like mine.

"You are just proving my point you know?" He told me with a chuckle before he suddenly stopped. "So, how long were you planning on following us? You know why we're here, so let's get this done, wouldn't you agree ladies and gentlemen?"

I looked at him confused. I had no idea how he could know if we were being followed or not if even my far superior senses couldn't pick anything up.

"Interesting." A voice muttered from the shadows, and I began to look for its source, though Samuel just continued to stare ahead. "What gave us away?"

"Absolutely nothing." Samuel said with a smirk. "But I know how you operate, you like to stalk everyone the first few times they enter your lair. By the way, that was sloppy kid, revealing yourself just because of a bluff, you ought to be more careful." If it wasn't weird enough that we were talking to thin air, the almost cheerful laugh his words got back was just the icing on the cake.

And then, I got my first look at a real Nosferatu, not the Bram Stoker's rip off I had been expecting. He...actually wasn't that bad, despite how Catherine had talked about them earlier, but he wasn't a Samedi, so that helped. The only real oddity about him, besides the way his face was slightly misshapened and elongated, as if he'd stuck his head in a giant vacuum or something, was the extra teeth sticking out of his cheeks and the recently filed down talons on his fingers. "Yeah we tend to get stupid when new blood pops up, but we just like to be friendly to the new neighbors, what can I say? Nice to meet ya kid. Name's Tim, hacker, procurer, and general handyman for this little warren."

I felt my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline but I wasn't repulsed by Tim's appearance as one second, there was no one in front of us, the next, the shadows gave way and spat out the Nosferatu in question. If anything, he intrigued me to no end. Not the Toreador, frozen in place level of intriguement perhaps, but I was still curious about this strange fellow that had so far been quite friendly to us. The black leather coat and pants might have been a bit much, but meh, to each their own right? "Tim? Seems a bit-"

"Mundane?" He chuckled and smiled, and while his teeth were as misshapened as his face, crooked and stuck at odd angles, he didn't give me any creepy vibes in the slightest. "Yeah, all new bloods like you tend to say something like that, if you don't run away first anyway. You're alright kid. Alex right?"

"Why would she run away? She already met Charles." Samuel quipped which got him a dry laugh from the Nosferatu.

"Ah, that explains it. If she can stand him she must be incredibly tolerant."

I shrugged and smiled as I relaxed completely about the same time Samuel tucked his pistol back into its holster at his side. "I just don't make it a habit of judging a book by its cover." I said, before holding out my hand to Tim who looked surprised at the gesture, before taking my offered limb and giving it a firm shake.

"Glad to hear it new blood. Sorry you had to deal with Charles though, but it could have been worse I suppose right?" Tim said before crossing his arms over his chest. "So, what brings you down to our little haven?"

"We're looking for something that was stolen from Catherine-" I didn't get a chance to finish as Tim sighed and hung his head.

"Uh oh, I know where this is going." He groaned and slapped a hand over his forehead.

"I take it you weren't responsible?" Samuel asked and rolled his eyes. "Why I am not surprised? Seemed strange for you guys to get so sloppy even for your new guys, unless you were in a hurry for a specific reason."

"Nah, we ain't stupid, even our new guys know better than to fuck with a Primogen. We make sure of it." Tim replied before sticking his hand in his pocket of his black leather jacket with a huff. "There's a Samedi in town, he's been giving us trouble, and when we heard he wanted to cause Catherine a headache, we tried to stop him. That's why we 'got sloppy', and got ourselves spotted."

"A Samedi?" I asked, and looked between the two of them for an answer.

Tim got to it first. "Long story short new blood, Samedis aren't cute and cuddly like us. They've got more of a problem with being in public than we do, what with their skin sloughing off at all hours of the day. Not only that, but they aren't exactly nice people even in the best of times."

"Think of death obsessed necromancers zombie hybrids and you are pretty close to the real deal." Samuel explained, kinda.

"Great." I muttered before running the back of my hand across my forehead, flicking a small spider off into the darkness as I did. "Just when I thought I'd seen everything. Any idea where we can find him?"

"If we knew we'd have taken care of him already. Even if he hadn't messed with Catherine, he's been causing us all kinds of grief, new blood." Tim said, making me curious as to what he'd been doing to make the Nosferatu want to take him down, but I didn't ask. I probably should have, but I was staring at one of my childhood favorite monsters in the face. Call me a nerd, go on.

"Is he aware that you're looking for him?" I asked curiously. "Otherwise we might be able to… draw him out somehow?"

"Could work." Samuel mused and rubbed his chin. "Some of them work as assassins, we might be able to draw them out by issuing a contract in the supernatural community, unfortunately there could be others crawling around. So not the best plan but still possible."

"We could order a hit on Charles." I blurted out without thinking, which caused the other two to stare at me, mouths open in disbelief.

"Damn, new blood. You sure don't think small now do you?" Tim asked with something akin to admiration in his voice.

"Well if he somehow learns that we are responsible for it, we're dead meat." Samuel pointed out before he shrugged. "On the other hand, he would need a Nosferatu to find that kind of information if we do it right. Besides he's got Kindred bodyguards, so what could go wrong?" …...You just _had_ to say that didn't you Samuel?

At the time it sounded like a good idea though, and the mischievous grin on Tim's misshapen face said he loved it. "Please, you have no idea how hard it is to get into our databases, kid. If you want to set up a fake hit, we can easily get it done and spread to the right people. Charles might not be able to walk out of his house for a while, but too bad for him right? We draw out the Samedi, and any friends he might have, and you get Catherine's stolen property back, everyone wins. Only one problem."

"Where is this guy's lair." Sam finished, to which Tim nodded. I didn't immediately follow, so Samuel explained, helpful as ever. "Would you lug around an antique violin to an assassination?"

"Ah." I replied, catching on although it should have been obvious from the start really.

"Yeah… thing that's bothering me though, why the hell would this Samedi steal the violin in the first place?" Tim asked himself more than us before shrugging. "Well, if we catch the guy we can ask him. The greatest problem I think is that perhaps our guy doesn't work as an assassin."

"If push comes to shove we can look for him the old fashioned way." Samuel offered with a confident grin.

"No offense kid, but what makes you think you got a better chance at finding him than us?"

"I infiltrated the society of Leopold… twice. You pick up a few things." He replied with a small shrug, utterly heedless of the disbelieving stare that earned him from Tim and the utterly confused one from me. "Vampire hunters?" He offered in explanation, although it didn't help my disbelief when I caught on.

"Yeah, better be amazed new blood, those guys ain't right in the head." Tim shuddered, actually shuddered, this coming from a guy that had teeth sticking out of his face. "They're able to stand toe to toe against us, something about the way they train allow them to beat us at our own game. And they're utterly fanatic to their god no less, which just makes them more dangerous."

"Yeah, they view everything not human as Satan's spawn or something like that." Samuel agreed and rolled his eyes. "It actually made it easier to get in, I had just had to act like a man crazy for revenge on the 'evil, demons that took my loved ones away'." The last part was said with more than a hint of bitterness, and I couldn't help but wonder if that had truly been a lie. I couldn't explain it but I somehow knew that Samuel was deeply wounded on an emotional level.

Whatever the case, I didn't get a chance to ask as Tim grimaced, having heard something similar as I had, and rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort. "Sorry kid. But as I said, any help you can give us would be appreciated. I'd let ya see the rest of the den, but uh, not all of us like outsiders so much."

"No problem, you got enough guys giving you grief up there. You should have your sanctuary." Samuel replied without a second thought. "We'll come here when we hear something new, provided of course that you don't hear it first. That does raise a question though, how do we reach you if we have to?"

"Heh, that's easy kid." It turned out Tim and Schrecknet, the Nosferatu network, as he called it, was already on top of things. They had already gotten our info, had sent emails to our respective accounts, and had left Tim's cell number in our inboxes. "We have our little talons in every information database, there's nothing that happens in the city we don't know about, new blood. That's how we knew who you were."

"Impressive but...kinda creepy." I admitted, equal parts in awe by their ability to adapt to the modern age and creeped out that privacy apparently meant jackshit to these guys. It didn't help any that I remembered that Brujah bitch admitting to the fact they had hacked my personal information, and now I had a face and a name to go with it, but having met Tim, I was able to let it go….sort of.

Tim for his part shrugged in response, having no doubt heard it all before. "Perhaps, but it is our only way to interact with the world above, well, without being looked at like an abomination. We can even chat with humans that way."

"Was that supposed to be reassuring, because that's still creepy." Still, I smiled and nodded, before cocking my head to the side a little. "Whatever the case, thanks for the help Tim."

"No problem new blood. Just be careful out there. Hate to hear something happened to one of the only decent Cammies we've met in a while. Met a nice Anarch girl couple weeks ago, but that ain't the same thing."

"Not sure what I am, yet. I first have to get these trials behind me so that I don't have to be worried about being killed for no reason anymore. Afterwards… no idea what I'll do. I don't think the Camarilla is all bad, but I don't think that everything they do is right either. On the other hand, I have no idea if the life of an Anarch is something for me."

"They ain't all bad, but personally, for all its faults, the Cammies are the best thing that happened to us, new blood. The Dark Ages, so I hear, kinda sucked back in the day, and that's what got us all workin' together like we do, for the most part." Tim replied, revealing far more than most people had since my Embrace with that single sentence put together. "Anarchs are all about freedom and equal power, but they're not altogether as they like to think. 'Sides, someone will always be in charge, no matter what they think to the contrary. Isaac back in Santa Monica is still called the Baron of LA after all."

"Huh, thanks Tim." I remember saying, my mind busy at trying to dismantle what he'd given me to think about until Samuel cleared his throat. Once more, if I could have blushed, I would have as I remembered our reason for being there. "Right, sorry, We'll see you soon I imagine."

"Not if we see you first, new blood." Tim chuckled before disappearing into the shadows once more.

Samuel and I were all smiles despite the rather tense air that had followed us into the dark tunnels. Leaving them in far better spirits, even though we had just put out a fake hit on Charles, which in itself was rather amusing given the situation, I took Samuel's hand once we were back in the diner and he pulled me out of the hatch that had led us down in the first place. As soon as we cleared the stairwell, the door slammed shut, and the floor slid back into place, as if there was nothing there to see. "Nice people." I mused, to which my companion chuckled as he started for the van. "What?"

"Nothing." He hummed, his eyes twinkling as he looked over his shoulder at me.

"What?" I demanded this time as we got back into the van together.

He chuckled and made a starstruck face at me, which clued me into why he was smiling like a loon. "You were completely swooning over Tim the Nosferatu."

"I was not!" I protested, although in truth I had found it hard not to stare in awe at the monster man in question. Nerd, complete, utter nerd, and proud of it, but in moments like this, I couldn't help but deny it as Samuel found it quite fun to poke fun at me. So when Samuel continued to grin and shake his head at me as we started back to my little haven, I finally relented. "Fine. I used to love all those old monster movies, happy?"

His answer was to grin and nod. "Very, but was that so hard to admit?"

"Yes." I pouted, but I couldn't keep the angry gleam on my face to save my unlife as it broke apart and a toothy grin appeared in its place. "The way Catherine talked about them though you'd think they were barbarians at the gate or something."

"Meh, Camarilla for you, Alex. They might have kept everything from falling apart for your kind, but they have arrogant poles the size of their egos jammed up their asses." Samuel replied as he shrugged since there was little use complaining about it, and I had to agree with him. "Also she is very proud of her looks, and tends to feel superior to those who can't match them, in her opinion probably everyone. For me? Well beauty is in the eye of the beholder." He shrugged once more, but it was nice to know I wasn't the only one that didn't judge by first appearances.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I think I've had enough fun for one day." I said, and was glad to see Samuel looked ready to head home for the day. We'd been busy for the better part of the night, and while there was still a few hours yet, until the 'hit' had gone out and we had received something new to go on, there wasn't a lot left for us to do. So Samuel put in a call to Catherine, told her we had made some progress, which we had, and raised an eyebrow when she asked, _asked us_ , to come back. That set alarms bell off in my mind as we shared a worried look, but there was no way to refuse her.

Soon enough we found ourselves back at Catherine's building, and I was soon back on the top floor sans Samuel since she had asked for me alone. After the last time, I wasn't looking forward to meeting with the powerful Toreador, especially since her guest had flown the coop about the same time I had left the building. She wasn't stupid, she'd have figured it out, and I was expecting her to be ready to cut my head off, or set me on fire, or something equally permanent and unpleasant.

Imagine my surprise when I saw Catherine's clear concern and worry as she gestured for me to stand next to her in front of a rather large flat screen TV that was nestled between a picture of Amadeus Mozart and another composer I had no name for. There, on the screen, was a news feed of the warehouse fire, and the reporter on the scene detailing the death of the men inside as well as the women I had saved with Jack's help. "Jack got to you too." Catherine stated, and before I could get away, she did the last thing I expected, and embraced me in her arms as if she were hoping to drive away a child's nightmares. In a way that wasn't far off the mark. "I am so sorry I didn't see it before, darling."

 _Huh? Brain does not compute_. I thought, utterly confused by this new side of her. Half wishing she would look at me in disdain instead, that would be more in character for her. "I don't understand." I admitted a moment later, deciding that this was probably the best chance to get answers from her. "What's going on?"

"Oh, my apologies, you don't know, of course you wouldn't." Catherine said as she pulled away and put her hands on my cheeks, a sad, endearing smile on her face that held true warmth and compassion, which was just as strange given what I had seen of her thus far. "Jack is bad news wherever he goes, but he has a tendency to help out newly Embraced people that have no Sire of their own. For that he has my thanks, but he tends to...cause trouble with the way he goes about it. It's a well known fact the fiasco in Santa Monica was his doing." I had heard rumors of strange happenings, and an explosion in some high rise building a few years back, but I hadn't thought anything about it at the time. I was still human after all, so I wouldn't have had any clue as to the secret society hiding just behind the real world and its happenings.

"Did I do something wrong when I talked to him? I mean I can't be killed for that, right?"

Catherine let her hands fall from my face and smiled a little wider in response. "No child, our laws are not _that_ harsh." I breathed a sigh of relief only to almost suck it back in when she continued talking. "Now about Lucifer." She began and immediately every instinct in my mind told me that I was screwed. "I wanted to apologize for my behaviour." _Huh?_ "I shouldn't have acted so… jealous. I know full well what he does, and why, so it shouldn't have surprised me he came onto you as he did. He merely acted like he always does, it is in his nature after all."

"Did I fall into a version of the Twilight Zone or something?" I blurted out, to which Catherine let out a peal of almost angelic laughter in response.

"Oh my dear girl, you must think me quite the monster indeed to ask that. Don't get me wrong, I am a monster, but I look out for my clan members to the best of my abilities." Catherine replied before gently squeezing my shoulder as she began to steer me towards another part of her lavish home. "As such, I realize what I've asked you to do might have been a bit….overzealous, but I appreciate the efforts and the progress you've made in such a short amount of time. The fact you put out a fake hit on Charles is just a bonus in my opinion. Genius, truly. We'll not tell Charles of course. It wouldn't look good for the trap if he's aware."

"Right." I agreed, not sure why I suddenly felt uncomfortable with where this conversation was going as she continued to gently direct me to what I soon realized was a guest bedroom in her little home. "Um, what are you doing?"

"Oh? I thought I would offer you a place to rest for the day. That hovel of yours, repurposed as a haven? That wasn't my idea, and it's no place for one of our clan Alex. I'll be sure to make arrangements for something more fitting, but for now, I'd sleep easier if I knew you were closer at hand." Ah, she didn't want Jack having another chance at me. That's what the cynical part of my mind suggested anyway.

Perhaps it was even genuine concern or just a combination of both, whatever the reason I was glad to accept. "What about Samuel?" I couldn't help but ask. "He should know that he doesn't have to wait for me."

Catherine nodded and smiled, but some of that warmth bled away from her face I couldn't help but notice. "Of course dear, I'll tell him of this arrangement. Don't worry about him. He's most capable at what he does, which is why I asked him to help you after all."

I noted how she said 'asked', and wondered if that was her way of saying ordered or if he perhaps was something more of an independent contractor for vampires, and thus she had truly asked him. The more I learned about the guy, the less I seemed to know about him. Whatever the case, Catherine soon left me to my own devices, and after the crazy, wild night I'd had, I found I was suddenly very bone dead tired and the lavish, giant king sized bed was calling my name. I don't think I even kicked my shoes off before I fell face first into the damned thing, and I was soon enough out like a light.

 _ **End Notes**_ _;_ _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Lol well, that happened. Considering there's all manner of strange, unnatural beings running around, it was Nomad's awesome idea to throw in the first Fallen himself, and it seemed rather fitting since this IS the World of Darkness and all. It might be vampire centric, but we still see at least two werewolves, a blood guardian, and more than a few flesh crafted freaks of nature in Vampire the Masquerade and its many mods made by the community. That and given our shared love of Lucifer, a new show that's become an overnight sensation given its premise, the Devil taking a vacation in Los Angelos no less, ironic much?, it was too much of a good opportunity to pass up lol._

 _As for the Follower of Set, Samedi, and a number of other Antitribu and their variant clans, they won't be the only ones we mention as things progress. I don't remember seeing a lot of them popping up in the other stories on FF, and since this is a mostly original story beyond a few canon characters popping up, it seemed fitting we do more with the other clans outside of the Camarilla. Anyway, hope you guys have enjoyed. See ya!_

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Hey folks, hope you enjoyed this chapter and our "easter egg" which was as subtle as an unholy hand grenade but lots of fun to write. Still, I hope you liked it, for this may not be the last time we pull something like this. Although we will try to limit it to a reasonable amount. And like Vergil already said, there will be a lot of other things coming up, like those eastern vampires whose name escapes me at the moment._

 **Vergil** : _The Kuei Jin. You're welcome. : P_

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Yeah, those guys. Thank you. See you next time!_


	4. Lectured

**Chapter 4: Lectured**

Considering the conversation I had had with Lucifer in the elevator, and how I had spilled my guts to the smug bastard whether I wanted to or not, I shouldn't have been surprised that I dreamed of her….of Eliza. Of how we'd first met, officially anyway. I think I might have seen her a couple of times before she had sat down at the bar in that club I used to work at, but it was always in the middle of a crowd, one time at a cosplay party at a New York comic-con event. Yes, say it, I'm a nerd, bite me. We've established this already. Another time I think I saw her at one of my favorite shops.

Perhaps she had been there because she knew that I liked it? She had known more about me than what would have been possible for an acquaintance. Perhaps she had planned to ask me out or something? Perhaps, I didn't know there were a thousand possibilities and I had no way of knowing which were the right ones? Whatever the case, shy as she was, my emerald eyed goddess sat down at the bar one insignificant night, and we began to talk. It was a slow night, so beyond a few other customers that were there more to pass the time then get knock down drunk, I was free to do as I liked so long as I kept the drinks coming as the need required, so I had the time to indulge her quiet curiosity over the thumping music in the background.

"Didn't I see you somewhere before?" I remember her asking, before recognition dawned in her emerald eyes that even then, captivated me to no end. "Oh, I think I remember. You were dressed as Zoe Washburne, Firefly right?" She asked, and giggled sweetly when my cheeks turned beet red at the reminder. "Don't be embarrassed, it was a good outfit. It seemed rather fitting for you. Your skin tone alone made you stand out as a better Zoe than most I've come across in the cosplay circuit."

…..Yes, I'm a Browncoat on top of being a nerd. Now get over it. As for my skin tone these days, I'd be lucky to pull off a good River Tam.

Despite her reassurance, I couldn't immediately stop blushing as I coughed uncomfortably in response. "Could we not mention the fact I'm a total geek?"

"Why? I think it's endearing that you're not afraid to show your loyalties so proudly. Zoe is quite the powerful, strong woman from what I understand, yet she's so mismatched with that incorrigible if funny husband of hers." Eliza replied and tapped a finger against her lips as her mind wandered.

My blue eyes had probably glowed in delight at finally having found someone who I could talk with about Firefly, despite my initial embarrassment. Seriously, most people thought that I liked the series a little too much, but Eliza? She loved it just as much as I did and still do. Unable to help myself, I leaned on the counter and grinned, embarrassment forgotten now that I had found a fellow nerd, at least in spirit since in my mind, she was far too pretty to be labeled in such a crude fashion. "And what makes you say Wash is not good enough for Zoe?" I challenged good naturedly, and Eliza giggled again in response.

"Yes, he might be a leaf on the wind and all since he's a most gifted pilot, but she could kill him with her pinky if she had half a mind." Eliza retorted and held my gaze, neither one of us willing to back down. "Of course, maybe that's the point? Some people are attracted to dangerous people." Oh if only I had taken the hint she had left at my feet. Dangerous people indeed.

"I think it doesn't matter if she could easily kill him, only that they loved each other." I argued back. "Call me a hopeless romantic, but that's how I think."

"Hopeless romantic." She said with a quirk of her lips. "It helped he made her laugh I imagine."

It was too easy. "Curse you and your inevitable betrayal!" We were soon lost in a fit of giggles that had us bent over for several seconds before we regained our composure. I remember noting her cold, soft skin against my own as I grasped her offered hand, but I didn't think anything of it at the time. "Alex."

"Eliza. It's nice to meet you, officially at least." She replied, and offered me a warm smile even as her green, luminescent eyes kept me staring as if hypnotized. Not a far stretch given she was a Toreador and all, even if mental domination isn't a part of our repertoire, at least not naturally anyway. "So, what other things do we have in common I wonder, beyond our love for Firefly and its follow up movie, Serenity?"

"I'm sure we can find a few things." I replied, managing to look away at last, and made it a point to start cleaning up for the night although there was still another two hours on my shift. Anything to keep me from staring and driving her away by being a drooling idiot. That was my thought at the time anyway, but Eliza didn't seem to mind.

She waited patiently for me to finish up and graced me with a shy smile when I was ready to go. "You had something in mind?" She asked and cocked her head. "To get to know each other." She clarified, realizing how that had probably sounded and was quick to backpedal on the off chance she had offended me. Far from it, but it was still cute.

I blushed but chuckled as I nodded. "I'm just glad I didn't scare you off yet. Most people thought my nerdy induced habits were downright weird back home." Unfortunately that's not an exaggeration in my case, but even then, I was doing what I could do to survive an overbearing mother and the whole thing with my dad passing away. When he was still alive things had been bearable, afterwards though, it had been like I was alone. The last person who had truly cared about me was gone, and I was lost to fire and brimstone mom 101. So can anyone blame me for going full on nerd mode?

Eliza seemed to understand though, and gave me a look that at the time I thought was strange since it seemed oddly sympathetic, more so than should have been possible for having only just met each other. She understood, in her own way, exactly the kind of pain I had endured, but I didn't know why, and I hadn't asked. Not that I would have believed her until she bit me of course, but that comes later. "It would take a lot more than that to scare me away Alex." Was all she said at the time, before perking up just as quickly. "Besides, what's so wrong with being a nerd exactly? Normal's overrated."

"Huh, and we just found another thing we have in common. We think being normal is boring." We shared another giggle as I collected my coat and bag from the doorman on our way out of the club, before having to wait for Eliza to do the same. Afterwards we were on our way, where exactly I didn't know, but I wasn't about to argue either. I had just found my nerdy soul mate as far as I was concerned, and it helped she was quite easy on the eyes.

I was giddy with happiness, after a long stroke of bad luck in the big bad city I could finally see the light, or so I thought. I had actually looked into the abyss without realising it, but at least this particular abyss didn't make me want to look away. But that was the point wasn't it? Vampires are predators, and Toreadors are the prettiest, the most gorgeous of the bunch, so it's no surprise I was stupidly following one around like a lost puppy. Even now that I know what would happen, I cannot say that I wouldn't have gone with her. Despite all that has happened since then, she made me truly happy during the time we shared with each other. Still, I wish she could have lived to give me the answers I sought myself.

Now that I think about it, I haven't actually given you a very clear picture of her have I? Other than an eye color and the fact she's pale as any Toreador vampire, I mean. Funny thing is, those are some of the only features I can ever recall with any clarity without racking my brain for the rest, but it is there, and I certainly saw enough of her body to know every curve and angle, it's just locked behind a fog for some reason. Maybe I suffered a bit of amnesia, like that girl from Santa Monica is rumored to have suffered, when Eliza bit and Embraced me? Meh, who knows, but I _do_ remember, that's all that matters, it just takes me time to recall the details for some reason. Part of it might have been her Presence, or a number of things that make it hard for me to remember more on demand, who knows. I imagine waking up in the morgue didn't help with my memory.

Whatever the case, Eliza was beautiful as any Toreador, but that should be obvious by now. The problem with this amnesia was that it also made me feel like I forgot something important, not to the world or anything but to me. Maybe some kind of goodbye from her? Something to remember her by? I didn't know what was eating at me whenever I thought about it. Hence I tried to avoid thinking about it. Sorry, getting distracted again. Emerald eyes, pale skin, focus Alex. Midnight black hair, a little smaller then me, lithe, graceful and despite being undead, full of life. Despite her inherent shyness, she was passionate, outgoing when she was in an environment she was comfortable in, and since we had so much in common, it wasn't hard to get her to open up. Those are the details that I can recall, along with the fact that she was an amazing kisser.

Although that makes me wonder why I don't recall the feeling of her cool body against mine. I mean Kindred are simply put, cold. Same temperature as everything around us, but I cannot remember ever feeling that when I was with her, at least not to the point it was uncomfortable or unnatural anyway. Instead I felt a warmth that should not have existed, or was I simply so smitten by her that I didn't care? Or, and here's a thought that should scare anyone a little, did she ensure she was warm by feeding before she came to me? Because if she had the foresight to take that step, to ensure her cover was so intact, then what else was premeditated? I want to believe it was the former, that I simply didn't care and that she had felt something close as to how I had felt for her, but I will never know for certain. I only have what others have said about her to go on, and not everyone had a positive outlook regarding Eliza of the Toreador clan.

I don't know, but what I do know is that those first few days had us meeting at the club, before we'd head to the movies, any anime or comic cons that were in town, which she was always able to afford despite my offers to pay for some of the fee to get in the door, or we'd just sit in her home and watch movies all night until I fell asleep on her couch. I never asked why she never ate anything, why she never drank anything, although I did remember finding it weird, I was just too wrapped up in her presence to care, literally and otherwise. I might have been utterly smitten with her, but I wasn't blind….not completely anyway.

It was the middle of May, we'd been going out for almost three weeks, when I finally got up the courage to take things further. It started out as any other night, except we had gone to my hovel of a home in the city for a change, although not because I had wanted to. She had insisted on seeing my place though, and she knew just how to persuade me to get what she wanted. Not that she had to do a lot of persuading, but I was still embarrassed since my place was nothing to look at by any means.

I did mention the hole in the wall right? The one that ensures that the cold continue to dominate the clime in what some would consider an apartment, not me but perhaps others. I think more of it was some kind of hovel that was I forced to live in by sheer desperation. She didn't seem to care though, although I imagine, now at least, that Eliza had done her share of sewer running, going through abandoned, haunted houses, and who knew what else, so my place probably wasn't so bad in comparison. And yes, there really are haunted houses out there. If vampires are real, why not ghosts? And just so you know, some of them are really rude, you round a corner and get a vase in your face for your troubles. And that more than once, kitchen utensils… those tend to hit you too. But we'll get to my own misadventure in a haunted house, or rather a haunted hospital, later.

Needless to say, I was embarrassed as all Hell, but when I saw Eliza and her nod of approval, I remember letting out a massive sigh in relief that she found cute, much to my chagrin. She merely pulled me into her chest and kissed the top of my head as she had a tendency to do. "Don't be ashamed," she whispered into the top of my head, "it's not that bad. Trust me, I've seen far worse."

"I doubt it." I muttered morosely.

"I wasn't _always_ so well off you know." She was quick to point out.

"Still, my apartment looks like it's about to collapse. Where were you that could have been worse? A war zone?" I asked, and pulled away so that we were at arm's length from each other yet still close enough to be comfortably in the other's grasp.

She giggled sadly and shook her head, but if I had known the truth, I wouldn't have been so flippant about it. "No, nothing like that, but everyone who isn't prepared for the city tends to end up in the same place at some point."

"The graveyard?" I asked, surprised and more than a little bit disturbed. "You had to live in the graveyard?" Let me clear this up right now if last chapter wasn't apparent enough for you, we don't need coffins. That's a myth. That said, at least one clan are cursed to sleep close or in the dirt of where they were buried or something along those lines. I don't know the details, but overall we can sleep where we like, so long as the sun can't get us.

So looking back, hearing Eliza's response was a little surprising, but even then the strange, sad gleam in her green eyes was still not what I had expected. "Eh… not exactly what I had in mind, but close enough." Suddenly my apartment was looking like a palace in comparison to wherever she'd been before meeting me. Before I could begin to apologize though, Eliza put a finger to my lips and smiled. "Don't, it was a long time ago, and I've moved on, quite nicely as you've seen."

"Still feel like an ass for bringing it up." I replied softly, but I felt better about making such a stink about my living arrangements.

"Don't worry about it, I would hardly be able to function if I would let something like this bother me."

"Still sorry."

"You can be rather stubborn, has anyone ever told you that before?" Eliza asked, her green eyes seeming to glow brighter as her inherent mischief started to surface.

Now I was able to grin as I playfully pushed Eliza back. She laughed, but grabbed my hand on her way down, and I ended up falling on top of her on the couch. "I might have heard that once or twice." I replied, smirking since she'd been more than happy to remind me since we had started going out regularly. What happened from there? Use your imagination. Because I sure as hell won't tell you, but I will say this. We eventually wound up in my bed, a contented, sweaty tangle of limbs, well...I was the sweaty one, she wasn't, jerk. Not that I was complaining, I was happy, she was happy, I hope, and I thought nothing could go wrong.

That wasn't the first time we'd end up falling into bed, sans clothes, it was just the first. I had gotten used to her disappearing before the sun came up, although she had come up with the believable story she had to work second shift for an unforgiving boss. Well, that wasn't a far stretch, she just failed to mention the fact her 'shift' was really her sleeping in the safety of her haven until the sun went down. And I guess the sun really was unforgiving for a vampire so… yeah, maybe I am just making excuses but damn I loved that girl, woman, vampire, whatever.

Sometimes we'd just stare into each other's eyes after we had satisfied each other, quite vigorously in some cases, other times we'd talk until I passed out, which was often. One time though something a little weird happened as I pulled out one of those notebooks or writing pads most authors tend to keep around for when random ideas pop up. I ended up getting a damned, annoying paper cut. And before you jump to conclusions, no, she didn't bite me that night, but she did suck on my cut finger….a little too much for comfort, but she brushed it off after she came out of whatever trance she'd fallen into. Yet the rest of the night felt like she was privy to something only she knew and was afraid to tell me whatever it was she had discovered.

The next day was like nothing had happened, so I pushed the incident from my mind, but it wasn't until we had nestled in her tub, surrounded by softly glowing candles she had set up before inviting me over to pick up where we had left off the night before, that she asked me something that should have set off alarm bells in hindsight. "What would you do if you could live forever?" Eliza asked, her arms wrapped around my bare midriff as I hummed contently, sprawled out atop her in her bath which as you can imagine, was just as richly appointed as Catherine's home, if a fair bit smaller.

"I don't know." I hummed, eyes closed and perfectly relaxed, but I thought about her question for several moments before giving her an answer. "It'd get boring I know that, but at the same time, it might be kinda fun, depending on who I got to spend the time with." Eliza chuckled knowingly and splashed me for the comment. Still, the moment of levity faded away as I pondered the question in greater detail. "I mean… I don't think I can even imagine what that would entail, what it truly means. Sure I live forever, but that's only one part of the whole package. How it would affect me, everyone around me. And so on."

She seemed taken aback for a moment before a satisfied smile spread over her face. "Most people either want to or they hate the idea, never thinking about what it might cost them."

"Yeah… I can understand that. It's easier that way." I replied with a small shrug. "But I think those that immediately agree are those that are simply afraid of the unknown. If you think about it, that's the scary part about death, you don't know what comes afterwards." Eliza nodded and hummed in agreement as we relaxed once more in the hot water. I didn't know I had just signed my own Embrace, albeit a few weeks later, but having said what I did, Eliza had accepted it as something close to permission I wager. Close enough for her conscience at least, and to make sure her own Beast didn't grow stronger from doing something against her better nature.

 **Catherine's Penthouse….**

Waking up with a jolt, I groaned as a growing familiar ache in the pit of my stomach and the back of my throat flared to life about the same time as my blue eyes snapped open. Damn, that dream had been very vivid. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but why that one and not something else I couldn't begin to tell you beyond my suspicions it had been stirred up by Lucifer's drawing out my deepest, darkest desires. I can make all the guesses you like, but I was dazed and confused as I stumbled out of Catherine's guest bedroom. It didn't last long, but it was long enough that I didn't immediately register what I was seeing until Catherine gently lowered her….friend, down to a nearby couch, two little neat pinpricks in the side of his neck fast fading when she flicked her tongue across the bite marks. "Oh, pardon me dearie." She was quick to say when she registered my presence, and the slight shock on my face at having woken up to the sight. "I...imagine this must be quite shocking to you."

"What gave you that idea?" I asked, although I had known in the back of my mind that I'd be doing the same thing soon enough. Walking in on such a thing wasn't what I had wanted to do however. It just felt wrong, like walking in on a couple making out, just with less kissing and more sucking blood from the neck. The only reason why I didn't freak out further though is that I could see the guy was still breathing, although he looked a bit paler, and the odder thing was the almost ecstatic look on his face as he slept off being fed upon. Well sure, I knew that the feeding process was rather pleasureable, but I am pretty sure I didn't look like that when Eliza drank from me. Or so I keep telling myself, having since seen my share of post bit people's faces, some made by my own fangs no less. Maybe one day I'll even believe I didn't look high as a kite when Eliza bit me.

As for Catherine, she had since taken the liberty to dab at her lips, removing any presence of her activities, and shrugged at my incredulous blue eye stare. "If I didn't know any better I'd almost say you've stuck to nothing but blood bags, which actually wouldn't surprise me. Some fledglings in this day and age go out of their way to avoid feeding from people directly for as long as possible, when it is so much easier and far more rewarding for us, darling. Not to mention far more satisfying. Cold, stored blood just doesn't have the same kick to it."

"Well, I'm new at this, even by fledging standards. Not even three days since I woke up." You'd think I'd get my big mouth under control, but thankfully Catherine merely smirked, all too aware as to the source of my discomfort about it all.

"Indeed, but you should really try it. You cannot imagine the pleasure you will receive by doing it. And as you can see, he didn't seem to mind." Catherine emphasized her point by gesturing to the drooling idiot on her couch. The goofy, drug like induced grin on his face was doing no favors regarding my opinion of his intelligence, or lack there of. I thought, at the time at least, that anyone stupid enough to let someone bite them got what they deserved. And some people actually do go out of their way to get bit, trust me I've met more than my share. Trouble is, once the hunger gets to be too much, you tend not to care where your blood comes from, only that you get what you need.

I really felt as if she were giving me 'the talk', vampire edition. I'm still not sure how to feel about that. Touched by the fact that she apparently cared, or just plain old awkwardness. I decided to go with awkward. "Thanks but no thanks."

"Your loss, but you will feed eventually, dear. We all do." She was right, I just didn't want to believe it at the time. Before I could say anything else, Catherine walked past me and beckoned me to follow. Giving her boy toy for the evening one last look, although I couldn't tell you if it was out of worry or….something else, I turned and followed, curiosity getting the better of me. Pushing the thought to the wayside, past her priceless treasures of music from around the world, and from well beyond my time, I eventually found myself standing beside Catherine in a small sitting room. Books lined one wall, a fake fireplace was nestled against the back that gave off warmth and a merry little blaze, but it was the picture hanging above the faux stonework around the fireplace that had my attention. I couldn't help the surprise when I looked between the picture and the woman at my side. Catherine nodded in silent acknowledgment at the healthy skinned, living, woman she'd once been that had been immortalized in one of the oldest art forms there is. "My betrothal picture, from a time such things were still done." She said as I took the chair across from her. "While I was still a doe eyed, naive, if pigheaded spoiled brat I might add, with blood still running in her veins. Ah, those days seem like they happened to another person now."

"I wish I could say I understand, but I really don't. Not even the slightest." I replied, unable to imagine having to live through all those different time periods… I couldn't no matter how hard I tried. Now though, it's not so difficult, since I've lived long enough to have seen empires come and go, so I understand all too clearly what it was Catherine told me that day.

Catherine however smiled endearingly and shook her head sadly in response. "I wouldn't expect you to, my dear Alex. No, no one outside of our little community could ever understand what it is to outlast everyone around us that isn't Kindred. To see the times change, to see buildings rise and fall, to see entire countries change over the span of years, decades, until one day you look outside and you don't recognize anything from when you were still human. Only other Kindred will remember who you are, and even we aren't immutable." The weary, tired sigh that she let escape her might as well have symbolized every long, lonely night she had lived through since her own Embrace. "Some Kindred find it too much to bear and willingly walk outside before the sun comes up, ending their existence, such as it is at that point. Some become lost to their Beasts and they have to be put down for their own safety, let alone those around them, while others simply isolate themselves, slipping into Torpor for years unending. I entertain the idea myself, of going to sleep and letting the times change without me, but then I meet someone like you and I find I'm too curious to see where things go to simply disappear into obscurity."

"Someone like me? I doubt that I'm so interesting." I couldn't help but point out, I mean seriously what makes me so special? There had to be more fascinating fledglings than me in New York alone, let alone the rest of the United States.

But Catherine chuckled softly before reaching over and putting a hand on my knee. That got my attention, needless to say. "You honestly don't know your own worth if you say that, dear." She said before her smile started to fade and she put her hand in her lap once more. "I know you must have questions, so many that you don't even know where to start. Let me explain what I called you here for first and we'll go from there, alright? You deserve that much at least."

I nodded and got as comfortable as I could, which wasn't that hard considering the deep cushioned, high backed chair I was nestled in. Catherine leaned back and crossed a leg across her knee, and let her hands fall on her chair's armrests before she began to speak. "As I think we briefly touched upon before, the Camarilla, those clans that respect and uphold the Masquerade such as the Toreador, the Ventrue, and the Tremere, to name a few, have established a great deal of rules to safeguard our existence. It's the reason why no one knows about us save for those few humans that regularly come to us for one reason or another, some to offer their blood to keep us sustained, while getting the ecstasy of being fed upon. Most however don't remember the experience, so we're able to move on without consequence so long as no one else sees us doing so. However, all this had to start somewhere, or at some time the better wording would be, and the Masquerade, and thus the rules that have kept us safe, began in the Dark Ages. We nearly ended up extinct, both because of the Spanish Inquisition, and the Black Death that came soon after."

Even I knew what the Black Death was, and it made sense that such a widespread, devastating plague would have limited the number of people for the Kindred to feed from. And we can transmit diseases from person to person, even if we don't feel the effects of such sickness ourselves, so with what little I knew of the Kindred, it made sense that some would have been literally deathly afraid of ruining their own source of food. As for the Inquisition, well, while they might not have known about vampires and the other supernatural entities walking among them, it didn't take a genius to figure out they still would have caused the vampire community a lot of grief in their own way by knocking on doors, dragging people out of their homes, and generally being a very big, very bad nuisance all the way around.

Furthermore I later learned from Samuel that the feared Society of Leopold was actually a part of the inquisition, which made some of his stories he was willing to share from his time that much harder to believe. Not that he shared much, I got the distinct impression that his time among them was not an enjoyable one. Point being, while the majority of the Inquisition hadn't been aware of the supernatural community, the Society of Leopold had been and are still very much aware, and they made it a point to hunt down the vampires they could find, and they still do to this day as I think I've said before.

But what Catherine said next was still more than a little surprising as she laid out the basic history of the Masquerade's beginnings. "The Ventrue, of which Charles is unfortunately the leader of here in New York, might pretend they keep the house of cards from falling apart, and don't get me wrong, they do their part, but it's our own clan that came up with the idea in the first place. The Toreador are the best when it comes to tearing down the established order, and in forming new ones to replace it." She smirked when she saw my look of mild amazement at that little factoid, and I had no reason not to believe her. Arrogant, jealous, and any number of unsavory terms I could apply to her, liar wasn't among them though. "Yes I thought that'd get your attention. The Ventrue are the leaders, but when it comes to original thinking, they're sorely lacking in imagination. The Tremere, powerful and all too willing to share their vast wisdom, are mired in their books to really care about much beyond their little covens."

It made sense, if what little I'd seen of the Tremere Primogen was anything to go by. The way he so effortlessly used his power to calm Juliet was hard not to forget, that kind of power didn't happen over night, or the control for that matter. Which reminded me. "What about Juliet?"

"The Malkavian." It was the first time I heard something close to, not fear, exactly, but awe in Catherine's voice, as well as respect if not a bit of pity for the girl in question. It was weird, but it would make sense soon enough. "The Malkavians are, touched, by the madness of insight. Each and every one of them are insane, but they are all connected, in some strange way that makes it hard to offend one without several others finding out about the incident. And while they're insane, they can be incredibly useful if you can gain their friendship. Eliza and Juliet were good, true friends, although it's rumored they were...a little more before you came around. I vastly prefer them over some of our more...uncivilized clans, like the Gangrel."

"The Gangrel?" I was quick to ask, unable and unwilling to entertain the thought Eliza had been sleeping with that madwoman before she'd met me. Call me jealous, I'll admit it, then I'll happily rip your heart out and show it to you. As for the Gangrel, they sounded like some exotic fungus, even if I knew better.

"Psh, they gave up their political power for freedom, making them more Anarch than anything." Catherine said with a roll of her eyes before crossing her legs once more. "That said, if you can get a Gangrel to work for you, you'll be the talk of the town since they prefer their solitude, and they are powerful shapeshifters. Most of the myths we have about our kind came from their unique gifts and they are powerful warriors, but all their power comes from the fact their Beasts are all too present on the outside rather than within. Kinda like the Nosferatu honestly, but you know about them, ugly cretins that they are. Oddly enough though, they're the only one of the clans whose bite inflicts agony on the victim rather than ecstasy, and being embraced by one is not pleasant either."

Can't imagine why that might be given what I'd seen of Tim, and what he'd said about the Samedi. If Tim was anything to go by, it made sense that any bite performed by a Nosferatu or a Samedi would hurt like a bitch, but I'd find out later that it went beyond the physical act itself. As for the Embrace, having bits of teeth, claws, and bones shift and move about would indeed hurt, which gave credence to what Catherine had said about the experience. As for the Gangrel? Well, they're something else altogether. Take the physical prowess of the Brujah, and then throw in a lot of mystical ability to create claws, wings, gills, and any number of animalistic characteristics that they like, and the ferocity to match. That's your basic Gangrel in a nutshell, and they are _very_ territorial. Luckily, they prefer to stay out of the cities by and large, unfortunately, if you cross into their home turf without permission, they will hunt you down and play with you before eventually killing you. So, don't go searching for a Gangrel if you prefer to keep all your limbs.

Catherine continued on unabated, having missed my mild disgust at her little comment regarding Juliet and Eliza's time together. "And the Giovanni? Ugh, don't get me started with those incestious little twerps. That said, don't piss off a Giovanni, the rest of their family, and their ghosts, will end you faster than the sun itself, and the worst part is, death is only the beginning for them."

"The way you talk about them I can't help but ask… do the Giovanni actually _do_ something for the Camarilla besides playing undead gangsters?" I said and scratched my head because they sounded more like a risk than anything useful. Oh if only I'd known the trouble they'd cause me later I might not have been so quick to disregard them. There were a few other clans we didn't talk about then and there, but before this is over, I'd wish Catherine had warned me about them. But there's a reason why they say ignorance is bliss.

"They help maintain the Masquerade, and abide by our rules. That is enough." Catherine replied after a moment of consideration. I took that as a, 'nope, largely useless but they don't bother us so we leave them be'. It was probably just as well I didn't press for more because they didn't sound all that inviting, and that quip about being 'incestious twerps' made me wonder if I really wanted to know what they got up to behind closed doors. Still, thankfully Catherine moved things along before my imagination could gain anymore steam. "My point is, everyone provides something to the Camarilla while keeping our existence a secret. We're people persons by and large, we're able to move almost effortlessly through the modern world, and we keep the other Kindred connected through our own social networks. They like to call us degenerates, hedonists, and far less pleasant names when they think we're not listening, or when we are, but they'd be lost without us and they know it, that's why they tend to hate us so much. Although, I'll admit it's an image we cultivate to an extent on purpose, just to throw off our enemies and rivals. People will take shots at the men in charge after all, while leaving the advisors alone, and that's exactly where we do our best work, from the shadows, seen yet unnoticed save for the occasional rude remark."

"So we're what, the Kardashians with more than a handful of brain cells to rub together?" I remember asking, to which Catherine busted into laughter at the absurd yet not too off the mark observation at the same time.

"If it helps to draw such a comparison, dear." She replied as her laughter died down into far more 'ladylike' chuckles. "But yes, we're social butterflies, keeping our fangs contained until we need them, and we are masters at manipulating a crowd. Surely you've noticed something of that nature happening to you already, dear? Of being able to bend those far beneath you to your will with a coy look and a few well placed words?" Flashbacks of how I had so easily talked my way past those thugs in the warehouse before burning it down came to mind, and Catherine nodded, having already put as much together as she took my silence as confirmation. "Jack might not be the best influence, but he's been around long enough to know all of our tricks, Toreador and otherwise. Presence opens a lot of doors on its own, but all the power in the world means nothing without the will to use it, darling."

"But… I don't know if I should use this power. I mean just because I can doesn't mean I should, right?" I hesitantly asked.

Catherine gave a heavy sigh and leaned back. "Ugh, Eliza was the same, always hesitant to use the gifts we have been given. If we have them why not use them? To us, humans are as cattle is to them, why not make them feel your superiority through your very presence?" She held up a hand to stop my expected protests before I could begin to voice them. "Alex, darling, you're no longer a part of the natural order of things, none of us are. We must do what we deem necessary to keep our connection to our humanity yes, especially since we Toreador are so affected by its loss, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves in the process."

I don't know what was more alarming, or disturbing, the fact Catherine was so cavalier about her nightly activities, or that she seemed to enjoy the power she had over those she seduced and fed upon as she desired. And make no mistake, that is exactly what she did as I'd find out later. While our existence must be kept a secret at all costs, the Masquerade is...flexible, especially where our presence is known and accepted by those that purposely put themselves out there to be seduced and bitten by a Kindred. Hell, it wasn't even illegal to kill a human while feeding on them, as long as it didn't compromise our safety. The greatest problem from such an act is the loss of humanity while doing so, but aside from that no one cared. Well...most vampires don't anyway, of which Catherine was one of those that didn't seem to care all that much about what she left in her wake.

I think that was my problem, I did. Unlike so many others, I cared, perhaps because I was just too afraid or stubborn to let go of my human nature in such a way, but I could never bring myself to look at them like cattle or the like. Even after I got my first taste of blood right from the source, rather than a bag, I couldn't see them as mere 'juice bags on legs.' The day that I do is the day I walk into broad daylight. Catherine must have seen my discomfort though, and sighed endearingly. "Give it time Alex, it might take a couple centuries, but we all end up in the same place sooner or later."

"Can you tell me why Eliza was….given a Final Death?" I asked, hoping to both change the subject and that I got the wording right as to what it was to be killed as a vampire.

Catherine nodded and leaned forward. "This is going to sound cold, but it's a simple matter of population control." _That_ was supposed to be cold? She had just been talking about humans like they were nothing but blood bags, and she was talking about one of her own like this? She continued, either ignoring my stupefied look or just not caring. "We try to keep our numbers stable, too few and we loosen our grip on how many people can be Embraced, too many and we have to crack down, especially on past offenders. Eliza….soft hearted as she was, had been warned before that she couldn't make anymore Kindred until a set time next year, but she went ahead and did so anyway. I'm sure she had a good reason, and if I had been able to do more to protect her, I would have, but Charles wouldn't hear it. Not that I can honestly blame him. As much as we all might hate the Ventrue, they have the unenviable job of keeping things from falling apart in their own way, and they have their fingers in the most pies. The stresses of leadership are not easy to bear, even for the Ventrue, who are often times groomed from an early age to be the captains of industry, the ones that lead the way, and so on and so on."

To hear Catherine talk about Charles, despite our mutual dislike of him, he was someone to be respected and almost pitied even if he _was_ a total douche. That didn't mean I'd ever like him, or pity him however, especially because she had also made it clear that it had been his decision to have Eliza destroyed on the spot. That raised a good question however. "How did they even find us so damn fast?" I asked, and immediately wished I hadn't as Catherine looked away.

"I believe someone told Charles in the hopes of earning favor with him. It happens, far more than I'd like, especially in what some call these Final Nights." I didn't know what to do with this kind of information. I briefly considered demanding to know the name of the one who ratted us out, so that I could show him just how much pain he had caused me before I forced myself to calm down. She probably didn't know, and most likely wouldn't have told me even if she did. Besides, even if I found the guy or girl, they would probably be far more dangerous than me.

Instead I took a breath and slumped in my chair with a huff before something Catherine said caught my interest. "Final Nights?" I asked, curious as to what she meant.

She relaxed and seemed more than a little happy for the change of subject. "Some people, foolishly I might add, believe that we're nearing the end of our cursed existence, that our ancient creators, the original vampires that made our respective clans, are going to come back and consume us all, reclaiming their cursed blood in the process. We call it Gehenna, and since we're all descended from Caine, or again as some believe, you'll likely come across those that refer to themselves as Cainites rather than Kindred."

"Caine? As in _the_ Caine and Abel?" I might not have liked all those Sunday school stories, but I still remember my bible fables. Caine was cursed by God when he murdered Abel, and so he was never able to find peace, even when he eventually died or whatever, I don't remember the exact details. The vampire version however, has it that Caine was the first vampire to ever walk the Earth, and from his blood, the rest of us were created.

"The very same. I thought I remember seeing in the background information that was gathered that you were raised in a religious setting." My derisive snort had Catherine raising an eyebrow. "I take it you didn't like it very much."

"My mother's idea, not mine." I said as calm as I could, which wasn't saying a lot considering the current topic. I absolutely loathed it when it was brought up.

Catherine nodded, none too surprised at my hostility on the subject. "Parents can be our best friends or our greatest enemies. That betrothal picture might have me smiling and 'happy' for the occasion, but the man my father had found for me was a pig. I had no say in the matter, no girl during that time could refuse such a match without forever scandalizing their entire family, and divorce? It was far easier to simply poison your husband and move on to a more desirable match, so long as you weren't caught of course. So you're not telling me anything I haven't experienced for myself, in a manner of speaking." She chuckled then and raised an imaginary glass to the picture above the fireplace. "But then I was Embraced, and I had the last laugh. My husband to be never knew what hit him. I had to make myself scarce afterwards, but my Sire was a far more welcome friend than the pig I would have otherwise been forced to live with. I'd do it all again if given the chance, but at the same time, once was enough."

I could sympathize with her feelings on that matter, but to hear her talk like that about murder was more than a little disconcerting. Which was kind of ironic since this statement was issued by me, the girl who burned a whole gang of slavers to ash. Shaking my head of that particular line of thought, I sighed since now I felt like I owed Catherine at least a partial explanation as to my own personal history, even if she knew most of it from whatever the Nosferatu had been able to find on me. There was still a pretty big difference between what was on a computer screen and what a person will tell you themselves though. "My mom was always a bit of a religious nutjub. I don't think there were a lot of times I could say I ever felt _loved_ by her. She never abused me or anything, but that's about the only good thing I can say about her. I didn't really feel comfortable around her, and all the times she dragged me to Sunday school were like going to court enforced AA meetings or something."

"What religion did she hold to?" Catherine asked gingerly, probably because she was afraid of offending me after I had almost bit her head off the last time not ten minutes ago.

"Christianity, ironic since they're more about forgiveness, compassion, and all that other dribble. Nope, she was all about the fire and brimstone and hellfire, and condemning anything that didn't fit her views, myself included given my sexual preferences." I spat out before rubbing my hands down my face in tired exasperation, but I waved her off when she started to apologize for prying, although she hadn't asked, not really. "Not your fault, and it was at least bearable while dad was still around. He was my best friend, but to this day I don't know why he married 'Her Holiness'. Maybe she was a different person before I was born, I don't know, and I never asked. Probably should have in hindsight, but psh, doesn't matter now, especially now I imagine. She'd probably take one look at me and pretend I wasn't there, or try and shove her cross down my throat if she knew what I was now."

"I'd almost pay money to see her try, before ripping her throat out myself if you didn't." Catherine remarked offhandedly, but grimaced when she saw the uncomfortable look on my face. "I'm sorry, I spoke out of turn."

"No...it's alright. She is still my mother though, even if I hate her guts." I replied softly and looked away even as a red tear started to form in the corner of my eye. I guess I wasn't out of tears after all. More amazingly, although after seeing the almost human woman underneath all of Catherine's predatory smiles and looks, maybe it shouldn't have been as the elder vamp stood to her feet and pulled me close. Something about the gesture, so...motherly, so warm despite the fact she probably hadn't been alive for at least a couple centuries, made whatever walls I had started to build around my grief crumble as it all came rushing back.

"Sssshhhhh, it's okay childe." Catherine crooned, her fingers running through my hair in such a way that brought comfort to my battered psyche as I stained her nightwear, to call her satin robes mere pajamas would have been an insult, red with my tears. She didn't seem to care, and merely held me tighter against her and let me carry on without complaint. "It's okay."

There is one thing I forgot to mention about being a Toreador, although I think you likely figured it out by now. Because we're so close to our former human selves, we tend to be subject to increased surges of emotions. Being repressed and forced to endure my mother's whims had led me to bottle up a lot of my shit, and now I wasn't able to control it all from bursting out as it was now. Granted, a lot had happened between then and now, but it annoyed and frustrated me to no end when I eventually came out of my latest bout of sobbing. Still, I felt better, and Catherine looked down at me in approval as she knelt and dabbed at my eyes with the same bit of cloth she had used on her lips earlier, I realized later. "Sorry…." I hiccuped as I slowly pulled myself together.

Catherine only smiled and continued cleaning up my crimson tears before cupping my cheeks in her hands. "Don't apologize, dear Alex. You're young, in every way that matters, and you've been through a great deal more than most Kindred in recent years. I know...I haven't been the easiest person to deal with, but if you ever need me, for anything, I'll do what I can for you. Eliza was my friend as well, after all, although she was so much more for you I imagine." She softly stated before gently pulling me to my feet.

I appreciated the gesture, and nodded as I accepted the cloth she'd been using to clean up my face. It was all I could do because I was still a bit choked up by her unexpected, motherly overtures that I can't honestly ever remember receiving before that moment. If that doesn't shout cruel irony, I don't know what will. That I received something close to motherly affection from a woman that saw humans as walking cows over my own mother was just sad, yet there it is. Still, as much grief Catherine would cause me later, I do owe her a great deal as I owe Samuel a great deal, albeit for very different reasons.

Bidding me to get cleaned up for the night before heading out, I followed Catherine's instructions, fingers wrapped tightly around the blood stained cloth she'd given me as if it were keeping me anchored. I was still shaken up, but the feeling was fading as I left her side to tend to my personal needs. When I'd come back, there was a bottle of blood waiting on the table that'd been between us, and I wasted no time in draining its contents. I probably looked very unladylike, drinking from a bottle of blood right from the bottle itself, like your typical wine addicted drunk no less, but I didn't give a damn as it did its job, and I finally felt ready to face another long night of who knew what.

And as was quickly becoming blessed routine for him, Samuel was waiting for me in the lobby, looking far better than I had been feeling earlier. "Hey, I was starting to wonder if I'd have to ping your phone." He teased, which made me smile as I soon fell in lockstep with my self appointed bodyguard and friend. "Catherine didn't give you too much lip I hope?"

I shook my head and smiled a little wider, gladdened by the fact he was, as always, worried far more for my wellbeing. "No, she was….very nice actually." I wasn't about to tell him how she'd been more of a mother than my own mother, not yet at least, and he let it go with a nod as we soon found ourselves outside. The heavy rain clouds in the sky got a dubious look from me, but Samuel only chuckled as he produced the same umbrella he'd used to get me to my apartment our first day together.

"What? Did you really think I used this thing for sunlight only? It _does_ rain in New York you know." He teased, only to laugh when I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Really? I never noticed." I asked in mock seriousness and rolled my eyes. "Still, nice to see you again. I'd thought you'd be bored by yet another clueless fledgling you'd have to show the ropes."

Samuel shrugged as he looked over in my direction for a second before climbing into the van once we'd reached our ride. "I may have been there when they wake up for the first time and the like, but usually it's their sire which shows them how it's done. As far as this whole situation goes, it's a new experience for both of us." He admitted, but he seemed content with the situation at hand, and I wasn't about to complain in any event.

"Huh, and here I thought you would do stuff like this everyday. Was actually starting to wonder why you stuck around for so long." I told him honestly which caused him to laugh.

"Alex, even if I were responsible for other fledglings… it isn't like people get Embraced all the time." He responded, still chuckling merrily. "And so far the experience certainly has been… unique."

"Thank you." I replied honestly, knowing that all of this would have been far harder without his support." Truly, thank you."

His eyes softened as he looked at me, with a small smile he put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him. "No problem, seriously. I enjoy your company." Despite being surprised by his sudden embrace I made no move to free myself, to be honest I rather enjoyed it. It made me feel normal again.

And then reality decided to kick in when Samuel's cell phone went off just as he started to turn the van's engine on. Taking a peek at the message, he gave a thoughtful noise before tucking it away in his latest black suit. Why he had so many black suits and ties, making him look like an extra on Men in Black, I don't know, but it looked good on him as he started us on our way. "Looks like Tim's got a hit for our little trap. A meeting's been arranged to talk things over. Hopefully our Samedi friend decides to show up."

"And if he doesn't?" I asked.

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He told me with a small shrug, looking rather unconcerned by the whole affair. I envied his calm posture. If I had still been prone to such a human habit, I might have been biting my nails down to the quick in nervous anticipation of something going sideways. Because something in the pit of my stomach said this was not going to be so easy.

I hate it when I'm right.

 **End Notes:** _**Vergil1989:**_ _Lol well, we've so far avoided a full blown rated M, but we got pretty close this round. It probably won't be long, maybe next chapter, maybe the immediate one following this one, we might bump this up so we don't have to tread the line so carefully, but that aside, we hope giving a more detailed glimpse of Eliza and our heroine, Alex, was what you were after in regards to her past. We'll drop more hints as things continue, but next chapter is going to be...messy, although I think we made that pretty clear with that rather cliffhanger esque ending lol. As for Catherine, I was a little surprised myself when I began that scene with Nomad in how we made her almost a motherly figure to the poor girl. Whether that continues to be the case is yet to be decided, but we'll see. Anyway, enjoy folks!_

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _There you have it, the first step of their plan has been made. But it would be foolish to assume that all will go according to plan, I mean when was the last time something was as easy as that? I'll guess we'll see next chapter just what happened so far. One way or another, alea iacta est. The die is cast, for those not versed in Latin. See ya!_


	5. Moonlight Meeting

**_Authors' Warning:_** _The story might be getting that M rating after this because it gets pretty messy. Although, that's what happens when you run into idiotic vampires looking for a fight. Beyond that it gets a little depressing afterwards as our two heroes share their life stories, sort of._

 **Chapter** **5: Moonlight Meeting**

New York City Park. It's true what they say about this place, people go to the park in the middle of the night, and sometimes, they don't come back out. It's just isolated enough, despite being in the center of one of the biggest cities in the US, that a couple of….unnatural creatures have made their homes here. Which was perhaps the reason why Samuel pulled the car over on the edge of the park, and looked me in the eye, thus stopping me from going anywhere from the intensity of his gaze. "Listen Alex, I thought about what we're likely going to do, and I decided that as far combat abilities go, you're incredibly green." Thanks genius. I bit my tongue though and patiently waited for his lecture to come to an end, mostly because I knew he was worried, and probably for a good reason. "The magnum you got yesterday in haste isn't exactly ideal for you. Well, I had time today to do a little shopping." With that he lifted a black bag from the back seat and gave it to me.

I slowly opened it to find what looked like a submachine gun with five extra magazines. "Eh, what exactly is this?" It looked more menacing than the Eagle in my back pocket of my jeans, although that was probably my inexperience regarding modern day firearms talking.

"This is an MP5K, k stands for kurz which is german for short, which means it is easily concealable. But that's not important, even if you don't hit with this thing, you can at least lay down a little suppressive fire." He told me seriously, now in full on lecture mode. "Only a little though, this isn't like the movies where they shoot for half an hour without reloading. So listen carefully, headshots, while generally a good idea, aren't easy to pull of. So aim for the central body mass of your target, much easier to hit. Fire in controlled bursts or semiautomatic, but don't simply spray and pray, unless you absolutely have to or they are damn close. You got that?"

"Yes, sir." I shot back, without an ounce of sarcasm for once. Wonders never cease, I know.

The answer seemed to satisfy Samuel though, so that was enough for me. "Good. Now considering what we're up against, I figured that normal bullets wouldn't do much good. So I took the liberty of acquiring six magazines in total of white phosphorus incendiary ammunition." He told me and narrowed his eyes. I could only raise my eyebrows in incredulous amazement since _incendiary_ I understood. Fire bullets, he had purchased the equivalent of fireballs in bullet form. Talk about overkill, but when dealing with vamps and the other things that go bump in the night, that's not always a bad thing. "Make sure you don't hit anyone friendly though. This stuff burns as long as it's exposed to oxygen. There are several reports of it burning itself to the bone. So no matter who you hit with this, you'll ruin their day."

If he had been hoping to reassure me with this little pep talk, I could only nod my head dumbly since it had done the exact opposite honestly. Although, that was probably a good thing since it gave me a healthy, if fearful, respect of the submachine gun I now had under my arm with the extra ammo tucked into a belt pouch he'd had the foresight to buy for me. I think I've said this before, but I wouldn't have survived for long if not for Samuel. Even now he still looks out for me, like some kind of big brother figure. A scary and potentially very deadly big brother figure, but caring all the same.

As for the park itself, well, despite the few softly glowing street lamps and the light of the pale moon high above our heads, partially blocked by the clouds in the sky, it was pretty dark out there. Once more Samuel pulled out a flashlight, but I didn't need it given my...nature. Still, the shadows across the stone pathways, cast by the trees nestled within the heart of the city, did neither of us any favors since even I had a hard time peering into them without some effort. This place was not welcoming, not as it might have been during the daylight hours anyway.

I felt exposed, vulnerable. As if I had just entered the lair of another predator without realizing it, and now it was already too late to go without meeting said predator. Yes, my instincts apparently just love to make me uncomfortable and paranoid. But it was probably just as well because an unaware adversary is a dead one. Paranoia keeps you alive, because when someone is out to get you, you're prepared for the inevitable ambush….most of the time.

Coming upon one of the few bridges that spanned the area, going over a small but still inconvenient dip between two hills, I stopped and cocked my head to the side, having sworn I'd heard something. Samuel noticed the action and stopped, before scanning the immediate area for anything out of the ordinary. "Nevermind." I said, and nodded to a squirrel that immediately jumped into view in the center of the path before bounding away. "Just a stupid squirrel."

"I wouldn't be too sure on that." Samuel said as he shone his light past the tree and the bridge just as several people started to approach. The cackles they directed in our general direction did my nerves no favors, nor did the assortment of crude, but still rather menacing weapons they brought into view. "Who are you?" Samuel demanded, his pistol raised and pointed unerringly towards the closest of the group that looked like he was a reject from Mad Max, the old movies, not the new reboot or remake or whatever it's called.

"What's it look like, little ghoulie?" The leader said, or at least I took him as the leader as he waved a machete around, yeah you heard me, a machete. It was rusted and had flecks of dry blood on it, only adding to the image he was a murderous psychopath from Thunderdome or something. The metal face mask he wore over his ugly mug, and the bits of leather and torn clothing didn't help, and his goons were equally mismatched in the same sense of the word.

"Not a ghoul, to be honest." He told the rejected extra with a shrug and kneecapped him with a silenced shot. From the way the wound started to sizzle I rightfully guessed that he had used incendiary ammunition. "Put down the silverware, or the next one goes somewhere much more painful, eh shovelheads?" Samuel commanded, to which the Sabbat goons cursed and howled but for the most part did as they were told. Soon enough a small pile of crude, makeshift weapons were laid at our feet, or rather unceremoniously thrown our general direction. If it made them feel better I wasn't going to argue, so long as they didn't give us anymore trouble.

"Shovelheads?" I whispered out of the side of my mouth as I brought my new gun to bear and flicked its muzzle to the left side when a holdout, having ignored Sam's order, started to try and flank us. He muttered a curse string of curses, but made no further move to try anything funny.

"Sabbat. The worst example of vampiric society. No one likes them, and for good reason." Samuel explained rapidly in response.

"Ah… so it's one of those days." I muttered back quietly. Perhaps it wasn't the best time for witty remarks, but that's just my way to deal with these things happening to me. And they happened a lot in those early days.

Despite the excruciating pain he was in, the leader of these Sabbat still glared murderously up at us. "You come...into our turf….and demand...we surrender?! Fuck you Cammies!" He spat out, before literally spitting at our feet despite being on his back, a sizzling hole in his right knee very visible from here.

"Newsflash, shovelface. _You_ wanted to attack _us_ , we merely defended ourselves." I shot back at him, getting _really_ tired of being called Cammy. People should at least bother to get to know me before they judge me.

"Save your breath Alex, they ain't worth it. We'd be doing the world a favor by wiping them out, but we aren't here for you guys." Samuel stated, oddly colder than I remember ever hearing him as he gestured for me to start backing away.

"Everything alright?" I couldn't help but ask him quietly, worried about his sudden coldness. It was a far cry from the generally funny, if direct, guy I had come to know over the past couple of days.

"I'm fine. Just… memories." He replied, equally quiet, his eyes never leaving the group of Sabbat as we backed away slowly, weapons trained on the goon squad.

I did not press further. I mean as much as I owed him and even liked him, I hardly knew the guy, so I had no business in poking my nose into his private life. Thankfully, the 'shovelheads' didn't chase us, although I made no mistake in assuming they wouldn't come after us later for crossing into their territory as we had, and for shooting one of them, but for now we were alone as we put the bridge far behind us. As such, I let the matter drop, but I didn't forget it either.

Deciding to go off the beaten path, we wandered into the treeline, such as the term applied, and soon found ourselves hemmed in on all sides by long, reaching branches overhead that creaked and groaned anytime the wind blew through the area. There were still a few distant lights where the stone walkways crisscrossed through the area, but we were in the thick of a small forest for all intents and purposes. "Keep expecting to see a Gangrel to come jumping out of the bushes." Samuel muttered under his breath. "It'd be that kind of night after running into those shovelheads."

"Why do you call them shovelheads anyway?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me, again, as I did my best to keep as silent as I could as we moved forward. The feeling we were being watched hadn't gone away, if anything it became more pronounced as we proceeded deeper into the 'woods'.

"Because they act like, you know, animals. Think everyone should know about and fear them, which not only goes against the Masquerade, but it's just plain stupid all the way around. Powerful as you guys are, there are a lot more humans than there are vampires. That, and then there's the whole initiation ritual they put all nearly Embraced through by burying them in the ground, forcing them to dig their way out. They don't even bother telling the new guys what they'd done to them in most cases." He explained, his dislike for their methods clear as day. "Hell, some of those guys don't even know _what_ they've become. They get turned and then sent into the fire as cannon fodder."

"Sheesh. No wonder they have such a bad rep." I replied, shuddering at the very vivid picture he'd painted for me. The mere thought of getting buried alive was enough to send a shiver down my spine, and if I thought too hard on it, I would undoubtedly get nightmares.

"Oh that's not even the worst of it." Samuel said and nodded to the right, where I soon saw someone's leg sticking out of a nearby bush. I say leg but it looked like half the flesh was falling off of the limb in question, which clued me in that we might have found our Samedi. "Word on the street is that there was a group of shovelheads down in Santa Monica working alongside a Tzimisce, a very twisted form of vampire that has a thing for….flesh crafting."

"Do I dare ask what that means?" Just the name alone had a cold spike going down my spine, especially since Samuel had trailed off, as if the very name had an air of menace about it.

"Don't know, do you want to lose your appetite?" Samuel deadpanned, a grin starting to pull at his lips once more.

"I'll take that as 'no'." I said and fought the urge to roll my eyes. "You could have just told me so."

"Where's the fun in that?" He replied as his small grin became a little wider, which was a clear indicator that he was back to 'happy Sammy' mode. With a nod, he proceeded to the bush while he motioned for me to go around and cut off whoever might be hiding on the chance they made a break for it.

"Okay, I'll give you that." I conceded with a smile of my own before I became serious again. "And since we're on topic of dinner…"

"Don't tell me you haven't fed yet?" He asked me incredulously. "If so I still got a blood pack in the van." He called out as I circled around the bush, acting as if we hadn't seen the rotting leg sticking out of the underbrush.

"It's not that… it's just… something Catherine said to me." I paused and looked over the bushes towards Samuel before taking those final steps so that I'd be in the path of whoever we might have discovered.

"Oh? Seems like you have a question for me. Go ahead, shoot. I'll try to answer, promise."

Deciding to just go for broke, I just went for it. Not the smartest thing I've done in recent nights. "She said drinking blood from a living human was inevitable, so I was wondering… if the need ever came up….could I drink from you?" Probably not the best place to ask that kind of question, but if we were trying to keep up appearances, it was the only thing I could think of. That and….I genuinely wanted to know.

I will say this, Samuel took it better than I thought he would….for the most part. "Wait, what?" He gasped out in surprise and turned to look at me fully. "Y-you just can't ask people if you can drink from them like that!"

"Why not?" I asked, confused, after all it wasn't like he was among the uninitiated. And it was a legitimate question as far as I could figure, so I didn't get what the big deal was at the time. Turns out asking to drink someone's blood was like asking if they were a virgin. You just didn't do it so….bluntly I'd find out later.

"You just don't." He shot back and massaged his temples with the ball of his left hand.

"I just thought… you're the only one I trust so far." I replied meekly and lowered my head, but I could see how his face softened when I said those words. "Besides, I heard that the feeding process is extremely pleasurable for both sides involved." At this point, I don't know who I was trying to convince more, myself or Samuel. I still wouldn't be able to tell you, truth be told, only that I should have quit while I had a chance.

"Which would just make it more awkward for both of us." He pointed out before he sighed heavily. "But… okay. Just, give me a warning. I'm a little jumpy concerning things like that. But for what it's worth, I trust you." He offered at last, which made me perk up almost immediately.

And then our would be assassin butted in, ruining the moment.

"Oh will you two just kiss already?!" The person in the bushes gasped and popped his head out when he realized he'd spoken aloud. "Shit." He had every reason to curse because I had my submachine gun pointed directly at his mutilated face. And when I say mutilated, I mean he looked like a zombie with half his face having fallen off at some point.

When the Samedi turned around, Samuel merely grinned as he jammed his silenced pistol between his eyes. "Evening Samedi. I hear you were hoping to meet us. Well, here we are."

"Hey, easy fella, I'm just here for a job on the king dick himself." I raised an eyebrow when the Samedi raised his hands, which were equally mushy looking, and filthy, to say the least. This was the assassin and thief we'd been after for the better part of a day and a half? While the claws this guy had were covered in gunk I didn't even want to think about, and his face was half melted or decomposed, he didn't seem all that threatening at that moment with his hands in the air, his beady little yellow eyes darting to and fro in an effort to keep us both in his sights. A wasted effort but I still gave him points for trying.

"Yeah, nobody likes him, but we wanted to ask you something else." Samuel said with a smirk. "Where is the violin you stole from the Toreador Primogen?"

"The _what_ that I stole from the _who_?" The wannabe assassin asked, completely confused.

"Ugh, let me guess, you're new at this." Samuel stated rather then asked in exasperation. "I mean first you blow your cover like an idiot, then you think that you could just tell two armed strangers that you want to kill the prince of the Camarilla, and apparently be able to do so easily, and now you don't even know who said primogen in question is."

"Would have been too easy otherwise." I muttered, now just as annoyed as he was. It didn't take a genius to see that the Samedi was not our guy. He was probably as green as I was, to coin a phrase from Jack.

But then, our night took a turn for the far more interesting, and not necessarily in a good way. There's a saying among the mortal population. You should never meet your heroes, and while I didn't know this person nearly well enough to call them anything of the sort, it holds true for celebrities as well, famous or infamous alike.

"And now you know how I felt." Both me and Samuel jerked to the source of the new voice, just as our Samedi friend disappeared before we could change our minds about his continued, and arguebly, pathetic existence. Samuel was the first to lower his gun when the woman stepped into what light there was to see by, and shook his head when I raised my gun a little higher. "Smart, you know who I am I take it." The newcomer said, her eyes hidden by a pair of sunglasses, but I could see the amused approval in her gaze all the same as she casually closed the distance between us.

"Kinda hard not to given your reputation." My human companion shot back dryly, his weapon not directly pointing at her but still ready to snap back at any moment. _Not that it'd do him any good_ , a voice in the back of my head screamed as the hairs on the back of my neck started to stand on end. "I'd just like to know why you're here. There have been a lot of tales about you, few of them good. If I believed some of them, then I would have shot you by now. Seeing you here talking, instead of tearing us to pieces shows me that a lot of them were a _bit_ exaggerated."

"Yeah, that's the Camarilla for ya though, they hate it when one of their own screws up so badly. So they find a suitable, if logical, scapegoat in my case." The woman replied and crossed her arms over her long, black trench coat that looked oddly stronger than it first appeared. Funny thing about modern day body armor, having a skilled enough tailor allows you to put it into pretty much any shape or form you like. "LaCroix was his own worst enemy, but I think we can agree on that, wouldn't you say, grey eyes?"

I think now's as good as time as any to describe my buddy Samuel. Gray haired, short and neatly trimmed so that it just hung above his gray eyes, Samuel always looks his best no matter the messed up situation we find ourselves in. Preferring armored business suits ala Wilson Fisk from Daredevil, like I said, a skilled enough tailor and armorer can fold body armor into pretty much any shape or form, Samuel has always been the definition of classy yet efficient bodyguard. Tall, well built in a wiry sense, he's far stronger than his appearance would suggest, trust me. I've made the mistake of sparring with him and coming out the other side beaten silly and bruised for my trouble, vampire powers or not, which further proves his claims of his days among the Society of Leopold.

Anyway, back to business. "Um, sorry, new kid here, Sam?" I asked, and gestured wildly to the woman that had just made herself _the_ prime target in New York by admitting her involvement in something big. "Who the hell is this lady exactly?"

Samuel's smug smirk was beginning to annoy me once more as he nodded to the woman in question, his gun still drawn but his stance relaxed. "Alex, meet mysterious fledgling that killed LaCroix. Mysterious fledgling, meet Alex."

'Mysterious fledging' was tall, taller than Samuel, that was my first impression of her anyway. Tall and looking like a stand in for Chun Li, just minus the revealing leg stockings or whatever those were supposed to be in her character models. That aside, she had long blonde hair, tied into a ponytail that still managed to go down to the middle of her back. Muscular, intimidating, yet the look on her fair, if pale, face was inviting despite the easy confidence and authority she just seemed to radiate naturally. AKA, this was not a woman you wanted to fuck with. No surprise since she's Brujah.

"Technically I left him alive, it was the bomb we didn't know about in the Ankaran Sarcophagus that did him in." She was quick to clarify before taking her sunglasses off and putting them into a vest pocket. The reason why became apparent when I saw her red, glowing eyes. They didn't glow with malevolence though, she seemed oddly more human than I would have imagined given what little I'd heard about her at the time. "But again, the details tend to get muddy when the Camarilla are involved."

"For once I can't even blame them. The last anyone saw was you leaving and then the LaCroix penthouse going up in smoke. It was the logical conclusion." Samuel stated. "Aside from that though… let's just say that it took a lot of research to make sure you weren't the psychopath they claim you to be."

"Can't fault you for being cautious kid, that's what kept me alive through all of LaCroix's bullshit. That and a hell of a lot of luck. Being Brujah didn't hurt though, I found I had a natural inclination for kicking ass and taking names." She replied with a shrug before crossing her arms over her rather...ahem, ample chest. Even if I had been straight as an arrow, it'd be hard not to notice, sue me. As it was, I was starting to freak out a little since this was the woman that had taken out half of LA without even trying from the few stories I'd heard about her thus far. And her acting all casual about it wasn't helping. "You're probably wondering why I called you out here, and it wasn't for the fake hit you put out on the King of the Ventrue Douches. Yeah, I have friends among the Nosferatu."

"Unsurprising, if you hadn't you'd be dead by now." Samuel stated and cocked his head. "So why go through this trouble to meet us, I'm sure you got more important things to worry."

"We had a mutual friend." I couldn't help but wonder where she was going with this, but then she said the last thing I expected. "Eliza."

"What?" I stammered out.

The sad look in the woman's red eyes was somehow more painful than anything she could have said. "I knew her, she was a friend, one of the few that bothered to ask questions instead of trying to stake me on sight. When I heard she'd been given a Final Death, I took steps to meet you kid."

"The violin, that was you then." Samuel stated, and didn't seemed all that surprised when she nodded. "Well you certainly got someone's attention."

"Yeah, figured I would. Only a Primogen would have had so much security for an old relic, but I was still able to grab it with minimal effort." The size of the balls on this woman were astonishing, but I'd find out soon enough she had every right to be so confident in herself. Not arrogant confidence either, because she knew exactly what she was capable of as well as her limitations.

"Can't imagine why, you're considered one of the most powerful fledglings to ever walk the face of the Earth in some time." Samuel said dryly and narrowed his eyes. "So the Samedi, the Nosferatu involvement, you planned all of that just to meet us?"

"It wasn't just to draw you out for a little meet and greet, I _am_ a wanted woman after all, and for good reason, but it certainly helped make my decision easier." She replied before taking another step closer. "Finding Eliza's killer is also only part of the reason I wanted to meet you two. I've heard….rumors, of something in the works. Something that will make the incident in Santa Monica seem like small time in comparison."

"We avoided one war by the skin of our teeth thanks to LaCroix and you. Now you're here, talking about something worse? I don't buy it." Samuel replied, but I was intrigued.

It was a big risk, if she was indeed as wanted as she made herself out to be, and if she had indeed played a part in a Prince's downfall, then that was no surprise. While I was still new on the block, even mortal criminals didn't come out of hiding without a damn good reason, so to see her, here, meant she was taking a calculated risk but one she deemed necessary. "Let's hear her out Sam, what do we have to lose?" I asked, unintentionally throwing in a little Presence while I was at it. Problem with some of our powers is that it's so easy to use them once they've been activated the first time. It's a subconscious trigger, thus it's hard to know how much is your natural ability and how much is amplified by what your clan is good at. And as you already know, or should, Toreador are people persons by trade and blood. You do the math.

He merely nodded once, clearly not trusting her yet, but he was willing to hear her out since I wanted to. That said, his eyes fixed on her form, searching for any sign of attack or threatening gestures. I doubted that he'd find one, if she had wanted to she had done so already, of that I had no doubt. "Alright, speak your piece."

"Glad we could come to an agreement. Shall we?" She gestured to the pathway we had left behind, and started towards it with us sharing a look and a shrug before following after her. Once we had begun on our way, the Brujah woman turned her head to look my way. "So, just how new are you?"

"Only a few days." I replied automatically. There was no point to lying, she could probably tell I was new to all this anyway just looking at me.

"He a ghoul?" She asked without missing a beat.

I had to do a double take and blink my blue eyes in surprise at the blunt question. "No." From what I understood, ghouls were a kind of vampiric servant, and that was the _last_ thing I wanted to do to Samuel if my imaginings matched up to the reality. It probably didn't, but I wasn't about to take a chance, although I had no idea how to even make a ghoul in the first place.

"Good." I raised an eyebrow at that, but before I could ask, our...guest? guide?, sighed and ran a hand across her forehead. "Long story, but ghouls can be….problematic." Something in her voice said she had had a bad experience with a ghoul, one that had left her heartbroken, in a way. I wasn't wrong either. "At any rate, it's reassuring to know he's not a drooling sycophant like so many ghouls are."

"Thanks for that." Samuel deadpanned in retort. "I already feel appreciated."

"You should." She shot back, chuckling before coming to a stop once we had gotten back to the walkway and turned to face us directly. "I was watching you, in case you're curious. My Nos friends have eyes all over the city, given their technological advantage, so I know you two have a pair of good heads on your shoulders. I wouldn't have come to you if you were like most vampires who see humans as nothing but juice bags, a mindset Jack unfortunately has."

"And now I'm starting to wonder if you sent him our way." Samuel droned, to which our new friend nodded in return. "No wonder he found us so damned fast."

"Technically I sent him to meet her and show her what he could, just as he did for me when I was Embraced." She clarified, and shrugged before she let her red eyes flick to the ground. "I was a little disheartened when I heard about the warehouse fire, even though you got those girls out of there at least. Too similar to my first night, running away from the Sabbat, having to kill a few of them to survive. Not the best memories I have after being turned into a Kindred, especially since they were some of the few I had at the time." She looked up just in time to see the uncomfortable, pained grimace on my face at the reminder and promptly rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment at having brought it up. "Sorry, I expect it wasn't much better for you."

Forgetting the fact she had a thing for technicalities, she wasn't so bad for being what Samuel made out to be some kind of super vampire among the Kindred. How right he was as I was about to find out as the Sabbat idiots we had chased off decided to make themselves known once more. She gave a world weary sigh and turned, pulling her glasses out before putting them back on as we pulled our guns about the same time. "Care to pick this up after we deal with these morons?" Samuel asked, but was a little surprised when she held out a hand to stop us both.

"I got this." I wasn't about to argue when her eyes started to glow, and I got the undeniable impression, probably from my Auspex, that it was in anticipation of a potentially good fight. I also got the distinct impression she was going to enjoy this quite a bit, and from the almost feral look on her face, she was going to take no prisoners. I backed away just as Sam started to reach for my arm in an effort to get me out of the immediate danger zone. I didn't need the encouragement to back away, but the gesture was still appreciated.

"Not enough you had to shoot me then you bring this bitch down here?!" The lead Sabbat growled out as he limped closer to the three of us. "What's the story here lick, you having a little Cammy meet and greet in our turf now?!"

"I know I'm wasting my breath here, but I'd leave, now. It's the only warning you're gonna get." The Brujah stated in such a way that I couldn't help but shiver in fear as she slowly pulled on a pair of black, fingerless gloves, before raising her hands up before her, her fingers clenched into fists as she turned her body slightly to the right side, presenting a smaller target. She wasn't even using her Presence, I was sure on that, yet she still managed to ooze an aura of utter confidence that made it impossible not to notice. Sorry, I forgot to mention that Brujahs have Presence, Celerity, and vampiric strength enhancing abilities called Potence. Basically, Brujahs are a combination of the Flash and the Hulk. But the Sabbat didn't take the hint, predictable really, but at the time I couldn't help but think no one could be so utterly stupid as to pick on someone so sure of their capabilities.

Stupidity doesn't know any bounds it would turn out, regardless if your enemy is human or otherwise. I would have run by then, far, far away, but not these guys though. One made a suicidal charge at her, and I couldn't believe the utter moronic action I was forced to witness. If I hadn't been distracted by the intense violence that was about to unfold before me, I would have been worried about them dropping my IQ by just being within close proximity to me. As it turned out, she did the world a favor by removing them from the gene pool.

Have you ever seen a speed mirage? Someone moves so fast that they leave a literal afterimage behind. While impossible under normal, human circumstances, that wasn't the case for her as arcs of blue lightning danced and crackled around her body as she activated her Potence about the same time. It was equal parts amazing and terrifying to behold. She appeared to be in two places at once when she made the first move, just as the first of her victims came within range. One second, he's swinging a board with nails sticking out of it at every angle, the next, he's grabbing at a stump before he was flipped head over heels by the sheer force of the strike from his own severed arm which was being wielded by our Brujah friend. I'm pretty sure my jaw had hit the pavement as the mirage disappeared, leaving the armored woman throwing the severed arm over her shoulder with a contemptuous grunt while her prey howled and rolled around in the dirt like a wounded animal.

Samuel seemed neither surprised nor impressed, but I'm not sure if that was what he truly felt or it was just a mask. Given that he had worked with vampire hunters before, I guessed that he had been on the receiving end of something like this before. So perhaps he was just busy curbing any instincts that told him to shoot until everything around him was turned to ash. That's just how I would feel like… which probably explains why he never lets me near any of his explosives.

Whatever the case, I didn't get a chance to gawk for long as the other six morons decided to do something somewhat tactically sound and rushed her all at once. Not that it helped as she stomped on the downed Sabbat's neck, snapping it like a twig, which in turn made him explode into a cloud of ash, before turning her fury on his buddies. Celerity and Potence are a dangerous mix on their own, and she knew exactly how to use them.

Furthermore, she knew how to fight with her own hands instead of the Sabbat mentality of 'hitting it till it dies'. She moved in such a way that they actually hit each other or blocked each other which in turn made it easier for her to finish them off.

Stepping back, a black blur of perpetual motion, two of the Sabbat managed to hit each other with their own weapons before she smashed their heads together with such force they exploded like bugs on a windshield. They didn't have time to scream as they soon turned to ash, but she had already moved on long before their bones hit the concrete. The next moron on the list lunged wildly with his machete, but once more he hit nothing but air as she appeared behind him. The next moment saw him screeching as her right fist disappeared into his back, before he gave a lurch when she snapped his spine. He was dead, err, deader, just like the first two had been long before he hit the ground. Idiot number four didn't fair any better as she turned and lashed out with her left foot with a roar, nailing him in the chest. Said chest turned to red paste as every bone in his ribcage was shattered from the force of the strike, the bone fragments being propelled out through his back like a makeshift shotgun blast. I'm pretty sure the only thing holding him together was his exposed spine when he finally tumbled to a stop several meters away.

Five and six were soon dealt with in similar, brutally excessive fashion. They worked together better than most, but it wasn't enough as Brujah death machine danced around them as if they were in slow motion. To her they probably were. Growing bored of their lackluster performance, she soon grabbed five's wrist, snapped it, and took his baseball back before using it to cave in his friend's skull. From there she flipped the bat over before shoving the handle into his mouth. How it didn't pop out the back of his head I'll never know, but she was only getting started as she fell into a controlled splits and smashed her left hand into his groin. Overkill, brutal, and excessive, as I said. He naturally fell, his cries of pure agony silenced by the bat down his throat, but his bad day only got worse as she used the bat as a lever, and used it to snap his neck when she kicked the metallic weapon to the left. The bat shattered despite its aluminum outer shell, just as the Sabbat's neck snapped. I think he was grateful by that point when she sent his damned soul to the afterlife in quick order.

All told, I think the fight lasted a grand total of thirty seconds, but it felt a hell of a lot longer and shorter at the same time as bones were turned to paste, necks were snapped, or spines were literally ripped from backs as she moved through their number like a wraith. The last of the shovelheads, a name I was starting to appreciate, was stumbling away, having gotten the hint that he was totally outclassed, but it was far too late for him as the Brujah pulled out a shotgun from God knows where and rolled her red eyes before leveling the weapon with one hand at her prey. To call him an opponent at this point would have suggested he was on equal footing, but the way she had taken apart his friends had spelled it out in neon that they were dead the moment they crossed her path. "Sayanora." She said before a thunderous boom followed, and the last shovelhead was blown off his feet, but he never hit the ground. Well, not in one piece anyway as he too turned into a cloud of ash and bone.

"Is it just me or are they getting stupider with each passing generation?" Samuel asked calmly and looked at what appeared to be a large circle of ash and fast disintegrating bones. "I could swear that just two years ago they weren't quite so dumb."

"It helps the Tzimisce I took out in LA twelve years back before I left town seemed to be the only thing holding them together." The Brujah replied with a shrug as she put away her shotgun, exaggerating the motion as she tucked it back under her long black trenchcoat into a holster I hadn't seen before. "They got far easier to manage after that."

"Huh, I guess it would." Samuel mused as he nodded his head in approval of her handiwork.

I however couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer as my blue eyes darted over the remains of the Sabbat, which were fast fading as their ash piles were carried away on the wind. "What... _the fuck_ ….just happened?"

"Huh?" Samuel and miss badass killer Brujah shared a confused glance. "Alex, everything alright?"

"Alright? _Alright_?!" Keep in mind this whole death and destruction thing was new to me. Also keep in mind that this was the first time I had seen another, far more powerful and experienced vampire, go to town. The display had left me understandably addled as you might expect.

"Alex, please calm down." Samuel tried to get me to take a few breaths before I could hyperventilate or something akin to that anyway.

Remember I said that trying to tell someone to calm down is never a good idea? He must have missed that memo. "Dude… you don't tell a woman to calm down. They will do the exact opposite." Brujah murderess chick told him with a smile on her face even as she got right in my own. Not a good place to be after how easily she had murdered those Sabbat idiots. "First time huh? I get the feeling you were able to bullshit your way through everything so far, not a bad way to go, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't work all the time. One of these days you're gonna be forced to throw down, because words just doesn't work with everyone, as our late Sabbat friends would tell you if they could." It was good advice, but not what I was wanting to hear at the time.

"Easy for you to say."

"No, it really isn't." She replied and sighed as she rubbed at her temples with her left hand. "I think I mentioned I woke up with no idea of who I was, where I was, or what the fuck was going on as some prick in a suit rambled on and on about rules and some secret society they were all a part of, that I had been 'invited' to join against my will. Well, throw that on top of a farce of a trial that I wouldn't have survived if not for a friend speaking out when he did, and then the Sabbat rolling in, making life even worse, all this on the same night I might add. I learned how to fight pretty fucking fast because it was the only way I could keep on living, or what passes for life with us anyway. So no, it wasn't _easy_ , but it got pretty easy after a while."

"As far as introductions go, you could have gotten something a lot worse." Samuel summed up and looked me in the eye over her shoulder. "I don't mean it as a slight against you, but it could have been worse."

Finally calming down, at least enough that I wasn't ready to scream my lungs out at the violence that had taken place around me, I couldn't help but look away as shame shot through me at having lost my shit in the first place, especially since they had a point. Brujah though smiled and tapped me on the chin, having shrugged off my outburst. "Chin up kid, I was pretty wigged out for a long while too after the adrenaline wore off that first night. Feeding, sneaking around among the humans, acting like nothing was wrong with me, and trying not to get staked? It takes it outta ya, even when you have all your memories intact. You had a leg up on me in that area at least, and you have a pretty good friend here."

"You both seemed to have handled your introduction better than I did." Said friend commented. "I'll spare you the details, but there was a lot of cursing, wailing and crying involved."

I looked at him dubiously since he didn't seem the type to cry like… ever. Perhaps he had been younger then? But he would have been pretty damn young for me to even begin to imagine him crying. Or he had just that good of a mask. Samuel wasn't talking though and merely gave us one of his customary shit eating smirks. Brujah stepped back and held out her hand to him, surprising but pleasantly so. Samuel nodded and grasped the limb firmly, earning a raised eyebrow from the woman as he apparently displayed a level of strength she hadn't been expecting. "I work out." He teased, which earned a laugh from the vampire.

"I bet." She replied before turning to me once more. "I'll be in touch if I hear anything. Tim's got my number. As for the violin, you'll find it under the bridge, in a little cubby hole where...certain people store their...merchandise. Don't ask."

"Wait." I called out just as she started to disappear into the night. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "We never got your name."

She chuckled sheepishly at having forgotten something so basic as introductions. "Sarah. Sorry, got used to keeping that kind of thing to myself I guess."

"Heh, I understand." My human friend said with a sardonic chuckle. "Stay safe out there."

"You two as well. And uh, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention me to anyone." While it probably went without saying, Samuel chuckled and nodded in agreement to her request.

"Gee, and here I thought I would give interviews to CNN about meeting you later today." I snarked back, sarcasm restored to full power. I could feel the strength of my snark flowing through me again, which was good, because it calmed me down.

Sarah only shook her head and snorted in amusement at the sarcasm laced comment thrown her way. "Keep that spark kid, it'll get you far." And once more, a speed mirage, minus the lightning, was the only thing that remained as Sarah took off, before even that faded and disappeared.

"Huh, nice girl. Glad I didn't buy into the party line." Samuel said once Sarah was gone. "The cops would probably be picking our guts off the ground if we had tried to take her down."

"Probably." I couldn't help but agree and looked at him. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Well, the same as usual. Prepare myself. I have to make sure after all that next time I'm ready to take her out if need be, or at least make sure that if she kills me it will be mutually assured destruction." He told me as calmly as if he were discussing the weather. In case any of you are wondering, that's one of his scary sides. When he talks about killing and getting killed like it happened countless times before.

Which only reminded me that we had just avoided having our own guts splattered across the pavement. "You know… I don't know any therapists, but I'm sure there a few in this city that could help you."

"Meh, sanity's overrated." He shot back with a shrug.

 _No! It is not overrated you idiot!_ I wanted to scream at him, but I decided to keep my calm. "No! It is not overrated you idiot!" Okay, that was a lie, I didn't keep my calm at all.

Samuel only sighed and patted me on the back in what was supposed to be reassurance. "Alex, it's my job to be ready for anything. She might be a friend today, but that doesn't mean she'll be friendly the next time we run into her. I've been manipulated before, people seemed like friends until I was no longer useful to them. Then they tried to kill me. I won't let that happen to you. So let's get that violin, and get outta here before she decides to come back, provided she was even telling the truth." I couldn't argue with that logic even if I'd wanted to. As cynical and jaded as it sounded, I think I truly began to understand Samuel at last as he led the way to the underside of the bridge.

While we walked, which involved us taking the shortest route possible by sliding down the hill together, he contacted our traitorous Nosferatu friend, Tim. "Tim, for your sake I hope you have called off the hit on Charles by now." He said with a low growl in his voice.

He had the frame of mind to put his call on speakerphone so I could hear every word without having to strain my hearing. "Easy kid, I just did that. Just wasn't sure how long you two would need to find them. I mean you walked into a no camera zone. The fact you're still breathin' says you met our mutual friend and she liked you."

"You could have gave us some warning that it was the one woman wrecking ball that took out half of LA's gangs on her own, let alone the Camarilla's top dogs, sheriff included." The way Samuel said 'sheriff' made me wonder what the significance was, but whoever it'd been, I got the impression they had been pretty tough. Had being the operative word.

"Sorry kid, she told me not to say anything." Tim predictably countered, not that I could blame him though. Not after what we had witnessed.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." Samuel shot back with an eyeroll. "I don't like being toyed with."

"If it makes ya feel better kid, I don't like being the middle man to deals like this, but there it is. When she came to me with this deal, I about shit my pants, especially when she asked how she could get the Primogen's attention. She's got balls, purposely stealing from a Primogen, but then again, she took down LaCroix and his Gangrel, let alone his security force, and that was _after_ she'd dealt out her share of death to the Kuei Jin and the Sabbat, let alone the Society of Leopold."

"You're not telling me anything I don't know Tim." Samuel grumbled, but I could see that he was losing steam since it was hard to argue with Tim's logic.

"Look kid, I'm just telling… when someone like her appears, you don't have a choice."

Samuel bit his own tongue so hard that it bled to stop his reply, I knew because I could smell it. He apparently didn't want to argue with the Nosferatu anymore, but whatever it was that caused him to react this way, he had very strong feelings about it. He sighed and instead changed the subject. "Alright, I'm sorry, but I hate being played the fool."

"Yeah, I feel ya kid. Anyway, to make it up to you two, next time ya need a hand, I'm all ears, no charge. Best I can offer but you never know right?"

"Right." I said slowly, fighting against the urge to tell him that the last time his intel hadn't been exactly truthful. Perhaps that was just me holding a grudge, I could if I really wanted to, but for Tim it didn't seem right. In a way, he'd been given the worst end of this particular deal.

Samuel didn't wait for Tim to respond before he shut his phone and stuck it back into his suit. He sighed, and as much as I wanted to ask what was bothering him, truly bothering him, I didn't as we reached the bridge and looked for the cubby hole Sarah had mentioned. I found it first, but before I could stick my hand into it, he stopped me with a look. "Booby trap? Really?"

"You'd be surprised." Samuel grunted in response, but his caution, or paranoia, I couldn't decide which, wasn't necessary in this case. Besides a couple boxes full of drugs from the local peddlers or from those that had stored their stuff in the hole, the only item there was our missing violin, sealed up in an airtight case. Samuel still opened the case just to be sure, but there was no mistaking it, it was indeed what we had been sent after.

"We better get this to Catherine before something happens to it due to bad luck or something of the like." I couldn't help but point out, since with my luck I would get blamed for it. It wouldn't have surprised me if there was a sudden meteor strike that would destroy it. With how things had gone, I wasn't going to take no chances.

"Good point." He conceded and stood up. "Afterwards I'll be busy making sure that we didn't cause too much of a fuss with our assassination tactic."

"I thought that was called off?" I asked as we started back for the van. I was new to this whole shadow society bullshit, even if it was my idea to put the fake hit out in the first place.

"It was, but you can't just put a hit out for the prince of a city, only to remove it a few hours later without some consequences. I just have to make sure that said consequences won't be a problem for us." Samuel explained patiently, although I couldn't help but think he was talking to a child with the tone of voice he used.

So naturally I gave him a dirty look, even as I agreed that it was probably a good idea that nothing came of us putting a giant target on Charles' back. Well….more of a target than he had already. Being the leader of New York's vampires, and the simple fact he was an asshole, had likely already put a giant target on his back, so in that sense Samuel hoping to mitigate some of that heat wasn't a bad idea. I wasn't about to tell him that though.

"Alright, just do me a favor and never mention any of the more disturbing details to me." I couldn't help but snark at him.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll never know unless I want you to." He told me, far too seriously for my liking.

"Anyone ever told you that you can be kinda creepy?"

"Well I was told that I'm creepy on multiple occasions. Only kinda creepy though? Nope, that's a new one." He replied a little too cheerfully for my liking as we climbed into the van once more before starting back for Catherine's home.

I rolled my eyes in retort just as I put the submachine gun back in the black bag along with the belt full of ammo clips. I was immensely glad I hadn't had to actually use the damn thing, but I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to avoid using the weapon forever if what Sarah said was anything to go by. All the while I kept up our running commentary. "Yeah yeah laugh it up Samuel."

"I will, especially since we still have something to laugh about at the moment." He was quick to point out. "If our new friend is right though, then we'll have our hands full soon enough."

The reminder only made me think about what she had said about Eliza, of how she was looking for whoever had staked her. I couldn't blame her, honestly, and not just because I wanted the same thing, albeit for far more personal reasons in my case. Something about this whole thing didn't sit right with me.

"Sorry." I was shaken from my thoughts by his quiet apology. "I know I'm not exactly good company right now. Just… a lot on my mind, and little of it good." I only nodded and stared listlessly out the window. There was still a long night ahead of us, and he wasn't the only one with a lot on his minds.

Eventually the silence was too much for me though and I turned to ask Samuel a question. He turned and opened his mouth at the same time only for both of us to chuckle when we realized what had been about to happen. "You first." He offered.

"Alright. I guess if we're gonna be stuck together, it'd be kinda nice if I knew more about ya Samuel."

"Oh is this that awkward first date phase everyone's warned me about?" He quipped, but shrugged before I could say anything else. "Honestly Alex there's not a lot to tell."

I didn't need to see behind his mask to know he was avoiding the question, although why I couldn't begin to tell you at the time. "Come on, there must be something. You can't tell me that you've lead such a dull life that you can't think of anything?"

"Alright." He relented, albeit with some hesitation. Taking a breath, Samuel began. "I never knew my father or mother. Dad left before I was born, and my mother died in childbirth. I was adopted at an early age. Good enough?"

"It's a start, a little depressing, but a start nonetheless." I stated before hesitantly reaching out to put a hand on Samuel's shoulder. He looked over, briefly, but smiled at the gesture before turning his gray eyes back on the road ahead. It was enough for me, at that point in time anyway.

"What about you? Anything you want to tell me about yourself?" He asked me with a raised eyebrow.

I was surprised since I had just assumed he knew what the rest of Kindred society seemed to know about me. So the question caught me completely in left field, to say the least. "Wait… you mean you _haven't_ read my files, that they hacked and stuff? Which I still think is creepy and rude but okay."

"Well, yeah kinda." He admitted, "But I'm trying to continue our lovely conversation here. Besides, it's impossible for them to know everything about you. That and I prefer to hear it from the horse's mouth."

"Gee thanks." I snarked, but shrugged as I tried to think of something to tell him. "Well, there's not a lot I can say that probably wasn't in my hacked personal life. I was born in Georgia, a town called Shady Dale, on March 22nd, 1989. I held a pretty steady GPA throughout most of my school days, wasn't popular but I wasn't a pariah either. And as you know my father died in a car accident and my mother was or rather is kind of an religious fanatic."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He told me sincerely. "I got lucky, got adopted by a nice couple who were just happy to have a child of their own since they couldn't conceive themselves. Even after all these years… it still hurts. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's alright." I replied and lowered my head. "I think the thing that bothers me the most is that my mother and I never really saw eye to eye. And now I lost any chance of reconciling with her." Not that I actually wanted to, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him that.

"Not so fast, she's still around isn't she? Perhaps you still have a chance to set things right." He said hastily. "I mean even if you think it's bound to fail… isn't it still worth a try?"

"Isn't that against the Masquerade or something?" I asked, hoping to dissuade him from continuing this line of questioning. It was a futile effort, but looking back, I'm kinda glad he pushed as he did.

"Not really, I mean it isn't like you disappeared on her and now you're coming back just a whole lot more pale with some unusual sleeping habits. You don't have to tell her anything." Samuel was quick to assure me. "Look, if you don't want to meet with her, it's fine. It's just… if I had the chance to see my parents again, I would give everything for that chance. And I don't want you to live with something you'll regret."

"Yeah well, that makes one of us." I spat out, my good mood having evaporated. He didn't deserve the outburst that followed, but I was too damn pissed to care at where he went with this topic. As such, I turned as far as my seatbelt would allow and leveled my blue eyes on him. I'm honestly surprised I didn't vaporize him with the intensity of the stare I leveled on him. "Let me spell it out for you. The only reason I'm even out here is because she all but threw me out of the house when it came out I liked the company of other women and that I wasn't going to fall in line with her religious induced insanity. So no, it's not going to happen, because if I meet her now, I'm liable to follow Catherine's advice and shove that useless piece of jewelry she calls a cross up her ass as soon as look at her."

"I apologize, I didn't mean to upset you." He told me quietly, his eyes once more focusing on the road with unwavering determination once I had flopped back into my seat like a pouty, petulant child. I later would feel really bad about treating him like this. Even though I didn't like his advice, still don't in fact, I now know that he was only looking out for me. Just like he always does. Needless to say, the rest of the ride back to Catherine's place was done in uncomfortable, uneasy silence as I stewed in my own funk and Samuel did what he could to give me some space lest he _really_ see me with my fangs out, to use a common vampiric phrase for being batshit angry.

As much as a part of me wanted to apologize, it was a very small part mind you, the rest of me was more than happy to see Samuel drive away after dropping me off at Catherine's tower in Upper Manhattan, to go check on our Nosferatu friend and do damage control while he was at it. That left me to deliver the Stradivarius violin, alone, and that suited me just fine thank you very much. The elevator ride up couldn't go fast enough, but I forced myself to take a few breaths in an effort to calm down before facing my elder since I wasn't so angry that I was about to piss off someone that could rip my heart out and show it to me.

Even though I still had my newest present from Samuel with me, even though I don't remember taking it with me. He probably gave it to me or something like that when I grabbed the violin's case, but I couldn't for the life of me remember when I took it from him. A submachine gun, yeah Samuel really knows what the ladies like. Anyway, Catherine was unsurprisingly waiting for me, but while I could see she was happy to get her newest addition to her collection, she took one look at me and asked what was wrong. "Long story." I grumbled back, in no mood to talk about what had transpired on the way back, let alone what we had ran into in the park itself. "All you need to know is that we got your violin back and Samuel's gone to make sure the hit on Charles was removed." I explained matter of factly, and set the violin down on the couch where Catherine's boy toy had been sleeping off being bitten earlier that night.

"I see." Was all the Toreador woman said on the matter, probably because she could see even without using her far more developed abilities that I wasn't in any shape to start talking. "Perhaps you would care for some blood?" The way she made the offer sounded like she was offering a glass of champagne rather than someone's vital bodily fluids, and maybe to her, that was what it amounted to.

Under other circumstances I would have angrily snapped that no, I most certainly wasn't interested in blood. Today however I was just too annoyed, and since I couldn't get drunk anymore, as far as I assumed anyway, I took the next best thing. "Sure, can't hurt I suppose." I grumbled out, still in a foul mood.

Catherine, graceful as ever, was more than happy to indulge me as she soon returned with a fresh bottle. It was just as well since I wasn't about to snack on someone's neck, I wasn't there yet anyway, and Catherine, in all her power and wisdom, didn't press the issue, that night at least. "Careful, I figured you'd appreciate some actual alcohol this time." She was quick to say, just as I took that first swig and coughed when her words registered about the same time the familiar burn of liquor hit my tongue. "What? Did you think we couldn't get drunk anymore?" She asked, smiling mischievously as she took the bottle and poured me an actual glass as she'd done before. "It must have slipped my mind."

"I bet." I grunted and sat down next to the prized violin that had taken us almost two days to track down. "How does that even work?"

"The same way diseases are spread through the blood, dear." She replied matter of factly.

"Ugh, that sounds… disgusting to be honest." I couldn't help but point out.

"It most certainly is, the taste of diseased blood is just as disgusting, believe me. Still, you have to be careful with whom you drink blood from. Otherwise you might begin spreading a virulent plague, causing yourself and us a lot of unwanted attention as more and more mortals get sick. As for alcohol and drugs however, and yes, some people among our society go out of their way to still partake as they once did in life, can be carried in the blood as easily as any disease. We experience the same effects if we drink from someone who's been partaking themselves, just without the long term side effects. Hangovers and public indecency? Well, those are still a problem." Something about the way she said that last part makes me wonder if she really considered it a problem. Toreador remember? It shouldn't surprise anyone to learn someone had the idea to use that to their advantage in the hopes of getting one up on their societal opponents.

"Huh." What else could I say to that little bit of vampire trivia? Still, it was oddly reassuring to know that if I wanted to get drunk, I still very well could, in a second hand smoking kind of sense. Which made the thing kinda weird for me, but I would probably get used to it in time. In the meantime though, I was happy to experiment with the alcohol laced bottle of blood as Catherine poured me a second glass after I had finished my first. "Well bartender, let's see if it works shall we?" Ugh, me and my big fucking mouth strikes again.

Catherine only smiled, more than happy to indulge me since it was apparent to her I needed to drown my sorrows in the oldest way there was. "Careful, fledgling. You shouldn't get carried away. Otherwise you might end up in embarrassing situations." You'd think I'd learn to watch my step around her, but I took that as a challenge to slam back my second glass.

I _really_ should have listened to her.

 **End Notes: Vergil1989:** _Ever see a drunk vampire? Me either, but it makes for an interesting, and entertaining, idea wouldn't you say folks? Not that I'm sure you guys could blame her given how her night went. Being ran around half the city, running into Sabbat, then meeting THE fledgling I'll likely run for my first playthrough of VtMB, only to end on a bit of a sour note with Samuel bringing up her old life. Yeah, I'd want to get knock down drunk myself if I was in her shoes. Still, we've started to set down some threads for later confrontations and plot twists with Sarah's ominous warnings about something in the works._

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Hope you enjoyed this chapter folks. And don't worry she'll be fine, I mean things could always get worse. For example this whole situation couldn't possibly have some unexpected consequences that come to bite them in the ass and- oh. Nevermind. I mean everything is going to be just fine. Really, you can trust me._

 _ **Vergil1989**_ _: Right, whatever you say Nomad lol. At any rate, see ya folks! Hope to see more of your wonderful reviews and follows and faves and all that as things progress. It keeps us motivated, and it's just nice to know we're not doing this for our own perverted amusement, although that is part of why we're doing this lol._

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _I wouldn't exactly call it "perverted". We do it for our own amusement that requires a refined taste sounds much more classy._

 _ **Vergil1989**_ _: Whatever you say Toreador. : P Seriously, take care folks and see ya next time._


	6. A Not So Friendly Gathering

**Chapter 6: A Not So Friendly Gathering**

When I woke up the next day er.. night, I really wished I hadn't. My head just hurt, a lot. Like someone had hit me with a baseball bat repeatedly while I was out. I slowly used my hands to feel my face just to make sure I didn't have any holes in there after drinking so much of Catherine's hooch...for lack of a better word for the bottle of alcohol laced blood she'd happily shared with me. A little too happily now that I think about it. To make matters worse, I could just make out the Primogen in question out of the corner of my eye, sitting in a chair facing the bed, just smiling knowingly before she stood regally to her feet. "I did try to warn you didn't I?"

"Ugh…." Was my less than intelligent response. The worst part was that Catherine looked as perfect as ever in a skintight white dress that did little to conceal her natural beauty while I was fairly sure if I could have vomited, I would have as I tried to make the world stop swaying from side to side. "I thought we couldn't get hungover."

"Yes, that would be nice, wouldn't it?" She asked me, grin still in place. Which was pretty annoying for the person in pain lying on the bed and trying to keep her blood down. How I could feel so bad without an actual working stomach, I didn't know, just that I did. "It'll pass, dear," she happily informed me even as she threw back the covers, making me curl up into a little ball in response. "Get dressed, now that my possessions are safe we have other concerns and trials waiting for you. As for your own things, I had them tucked away underneath your bed here, dear. But enough of that, come on, we have a whole night ahead of us."

"You're starting to sound like my dad." I grumbled, but Catherine only grinned a little wider.

"I'll take that as a compliment, my dear." Catherine retorted and gracefully left the room to give me time to compose myself.

"Ugh…" I merely groaned out, for once tempted to take something, anything to make sure I wouldn't feel this pain and nausea. Seriously, how was I supposed to do anything in this state was beyond me. But as promised, it started to pass, albeit at its own pace, as I slowly, gingerly, pulled myself out of bed, hoping by taking it slow I wouldn't end up finding out if we actually could throw up. I was in no hurry to find out. But when I looked down, I realized, much to my abject horror, that at some point last night, I had decided, for god know what reason, to undress completely. "What did I do last night?!" I shrieked, and immediately made a frantic grab for the topmost sheet on the bed, not that it mattered at this point.

"Embarrassed yourself largely." Catherine said as she glided by my door, although my question hadn't exactly been meant for her. "Believe me, you told me some things, despite my insistence to keep silent, that I never wanted to know." This coming from a woman that I would later realize enjoyed making people miserable without laying a hand on them personally. As it was, it was all I could do not to find the deepest, darkest hole I could find and stay there I was so mortified as I ran for the bathroom, only to run back out, grab a change of clothes, and run back to the bathroom before slamming the door behind me. The sound of Catherine's angelic laughter followed me every step of the way. "I was kidding, Alex." She called out, but I was no longer listening. I was too busy thinking of places to hide till the end of time. The ocean floor was starting to look very inviting at that moment.

The sound of Catherine's knocking on the bathroom door and her gentle request that I come out was the only thing that got me to leave my temporary sanctuary. As for the clothes I had grabbed on the run, I only then realized I had grabbed something that belonged on the front of Vogue rather than anything I normally wore which consisted of your average T-shirts, jeans, things like that. What I was wearing now though? Well, it only made me stand out further as a thing of utter beauty despite lacking a pulse and a healthy skin tone. If anything, with my long brunette hair and my pale skin, the sleeveless, deep-v high slit evening gown was made all the more alluring as it clung to my vampiric flesh almost like a second skin. It certainly moved and flowed without much effort on my part. As high priced as it most likely was, I couldn't help but gawk at the image staring back at me. Just don't ask me how I got into the damned thing because I couldn't tell you.

It was actually nice to wear something more refined for a change, made me feel less like an errand girl, even though I probably was still an errand girl. Well, I would have to worry about that later. When my head had stopped trying to kill me, or the world had stopped spinning at this ridiculous speed. If my vampire healing could speed up anytime soon I would most certainly appreciate it further. As usual though, Catherine was all too happy to speed me along, whether I was ready or not, and soon stood behind me. She too stopped and looked at me, her gaze riveted by the same thing my own blue orbs had been transfixed by. "You look absolutely divine, dear. I have a red party dress that would look better on your slender, wiry frame, but this works well enough for our night out. Come come, I want you on my arm tonight, and it'll be good for you to meet more of our Kindred brothers and sisters."

"We're going to a Kindred party?" I asked as I fell in behind the Primogen, curiosity, as usual, getting the better of me.

"Not quite, many Kindred will be there, true. But there will be a great number of humans as well, someone has to provide the snacks after all." I blanched but didn't say anything about that less than subtle comment. I had to keep reminding myself that this kind of thing was considered normal for these people, that they saw humans as food rather than people, but again that wasn't how I saw them. And now that I had to remind myself that 'these people' were the same as me, Kindred, whether I liked it or not.

This was also the first time that I had gone anywhere without Samuel I realized, as we soon found ourselves in one of Catherine's high end, exotic cars from who knew where. The fact she had her own driver wasn't so surprising though, or the fact that I saw a stretch limo in the underground parking garage on our way to her driver and the car she had ordered be made ready for the trip ahead of our arrival. It just seemed appropriate for the ridiculously rich woman at my side. You could say what you wanted about her, but subtlety was never her strong suit. When it came to the Masquerade, there were few better at keeping our existence a secret, but at the same time she was a Toreador like me, which meant she loved being seen by everyone.

Guess that made me the black sheep of the clan. I appreciated beauty as much as any of them, and I had nothing against dressing up, but that was where the similarities ended between us. Rather than just get the attention I sought to gain the favor and adoration of a selected few, I did what I could not to cause waves more for my own comfort and continued sanity over anything. Didn't always work, but overall it kept me and Samuel in one piece when dealing with the rest of Kindred society.

"So….what should I be expecting?" I asked, hoping to get an idea of what I was walking into.

"A lot of fake smiles." Catherine replied with a grin. "Yesterday I tested your physical capabilities. Today you will have to prove that you can hide your true motives behind a smile and a coy look. Otherwise I won't be able to trust you with anything." Great, this wasn't going to be hard at all. Thankfully I remember her saying that most people didn't expect a lot out of the Toreador, an image they cultivated purposely so that everyone underestimated us. Catherine seemed to be reading my mind because she nodded and crossed her right leg over her knee. "You'll be fine, dear. You're new, people won't expect you to be a threat, and that can be beneficial for you, unless they try and kill you in an effort to take me down a peg. You're going to be my guest at this party after all, it's not unheard of for such a thing to occur."

Great, it's like my mother was telling me not to worry about my first day in elementary, the worst thing that could happen was that I'd get beaten to death. Catherine should really work on her pep talks. Even Samuel was better with his, 'This gun will make your enemies dead in the most painful way imaginable', speech. Which was saying a lot. 'Sigh', but I suppose this was better taken care of now rather than later, and chances were the warehouse incident might have netted me some infamy among the Kindred, perhaps enough that a would be assassin would think twice about stabbing me in the back. One could hope right? I tried to ignore the small voice in the back of my head that seemed to be laughing at me for that thought.

Whatever happened though, I was determined to face it head on and hope for the best. That's the thought I put on repeat in my head anyway in the hopes I might even start to believe it by the time we pulled up to the front of our destination, which turned out to be a….museum? I blinked and looked to Catherine, who only shrugged in response to my inquisitive look. "A Toreador friend of mine has 'found' a number of ancient artifacts, and has decided to 'donate' them to the Natural History Museum. He's made a big to do about the affair, when in reality he had said items in his private collection for the better part of a few centuries and only now feels the need to show them off. Something like this happens more often than you think."

I wish I could say that I was surprised, but I wasn't, not really. I guess it doesn't matter whether you're human, Kindred or something else altogether, some people just love to show off. And I guess some vampires needed a little ego boost every few centuries. Perhaps they were having something like a mid-unlife crisis. Whatever the case, when we came to a stop, nestled between an eerily familiar black convertible, and what I took to be an exact replica of the car they used from Christine, a Stephen King movie about a possessed car that ends up driving its intended owner rather than the other way around, or the original used in the movie, either wouldn't have surprised me, I was slightly taken aback by the number of people that had shown up for the event. Most were human, from what I could tell, although whether they were guards, ghouls, or just guests of the vampires among them, I couldn't begin to guess.

Which reminded me, I really had to ask Catherine sometime how ghouls were made, or better yet, why? Most Kindred were after all extremely prideful, for them to work together with anything different than other Kindred seemed out of character, well unless of course they had to. You'd be surprised just how fast that pride could disappear when faced with certain doom. That and I didn't consider it at the time, but ghouls make for pretty good guards during the daylight hours where we're at our weakest, especially since ghouls are stronger, faster, and heal faster than someone who hasn't been made into a ghoul. They aren't faster or stronger than a vampire, but they aren't to be underestimated by any means. The problem stems from the simple fact ghouls are dependant on their vampiric masters, like a drug addict who needs their periodic fix, and that bond made in blood is open to all kinds of abuse, and most Kindred do abuse it and their ghouls. Only the strong have any chance of retaining their free will in any capacity, as well as their general mental faculties, but good luck finding a reliable ghoul that wouldn't fight tooth and nail for their freedom if you start to use their blood bond in a way they don't like.

"Ah, Catherine so good to see you." A new voice interrupted my musing as I refocused my gaze to what was going on in front of me. The man who had spoken was pompous, to say the least. Like he had just bought the most attention getting suit he could find and added enough jewelry to beat someone to death with it. In my humble opinion it was rather over the top, though I did my best not show what I really thought of this strutting, gaudy peacock. "And I take it that this is the new fledgling everyone is talking about? The one who burned down the warehouse? I must say that gives me a rather Anarch like vibe my dear." Oh if only he knew.

Out loud however I said, "Anarch? No, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Which was more or less the truth, I just didn't mention the finer details was all.

"Ah, my apologies for assuming anything." The man replied before holding out his right hand, which I took before I realized what he was planning until he brushed his lips across my knuckles. I would have blushed if I'd been able, but he smiled anyway before letting my hand go. "Please enjoy yourself tonight. My name's Antonio Leonardo. If you're interested we could continue this conversation some other time, but for now I must mingle with my guests." With that he gave both Catherine and me a nod before he walked off into the crowd.

"So, what did you think of him?" Catherine asked once Antonio was out of earshot, far out of earshot.

I couldn't blame her though since again, we do have better senses than humans, even on their best day. "He certainly likes to flaunt his wealth." I couldn't help but point out. "And he was pretending to be dumber than he actually is."

"Oh? How did you come to that conclusion?" Catherine asked, intrigued by what I'd said as we began to make our way to the entrance of the museum despite being hemmed in on all sides by dozens of people.

"The way he switched the conversation to me? That was about as subtle as a stone to the face. I doubt that he would have survived for as long as he did with such low intelligence." I explained with a small huff, wondering if that guy really thought that I would fall for his act.

"You'd be surprised, " Catherine chuckled wryly before her face pinched up in disgust, as if she'd swallowed a bug. "But you're right, my dear. That's how most of the Toreador clan act as a whole, presenting one face while hiding so much more behind our masks. Politics however are a two faced affair, no matter what clan you're a part of, you'd be wise to remember that."

"Don't worry, I will." I said dryly, as if I would even get a chance to forget with all those Kindred around to remind me all the time. Even I was forced to adapt to their games. I had apparently turned into some kind of Janus, showing one face to those that wanted to do business with me and a completely different one to my friends. Either way, the amount of 'polite conversation' I could hear as we eventually reached the front doors of the museum clued me into the fact there was a lot more rivalries going on than I would have believed. Rumors of scandals between members of rival clans, sects of vampires going for each other's throats in the shadows of the city, and I was pretty sure I heard something about a fiasco in the Giovanni 'family' that had occurred a decade and some change ago back in LA that was still being cleaned up to this day. I wondered if Sarah had had something to do with that one. It wouldn't surprise me to find out if she did.

As it was, I had overheard a lot of gossip and rumors, but nothing really concrete by the time we entered the museum proper. The real juicy secrets wouldn't be shared in public obviously, but what I _had_ heard still gave me a glimpse of just how far back some of these rivalries extended. In some cases, it seemed rather excessive to hold onto a grudge from centuries back because of something that was long since gone, and never valuable to begin with. I mean seriously didn't these people have a life, unlife, whatever? Then again, eternity is a long time, so life for these guys probably got boring after a while. Maybe it was how they kept themselves feeling like they mattered? Who knows, I'm still too young to get it. Damn, that thought makes me feel like a child again, when my father would tell me that I was too young to understand and my mother would say such thoughts would lead me to being sent to hell. And I most certainly wasn't traumatized by the latter's parenting methods, thanks mum! Blegh, sorry, you can say it, I have some serious focus issues.

The sound of a classical number reached my ears as we passed through the front foyer before we were allowed into the museum itself. Like most places in the city, the Museum of Natural History was….ginormous. Floors upon floors of ancient artifacts from around the world, art galleries, even a full on zoological department with everything from the extinct dodo to mammoths from the Ice Age. All stuffed and mounted of course, if not simple plastic models of the real thing, but the point remained the same. This place was, ironically, the perfect place to display a dead guy's private art collection. Museums might be houses of education no matter your age or interests, but from my perspective, it's a place dedicated to showing off what would otherwise be long forgotten, a place of vanity for those things we've destroyed and would have preserved or have let time consume. Cynicism for the win perhaps, but we tend to see things differently given our natures.

Still it could also serve as a place of learning and culture, that much I had to admit. Even though there were far fewer visitors than there should be given how much work was put into each and every museum. The advent of the internet and the information one can find with the click of a few buttons has made such places like the museum extinct, or they're fast heading that way, just like libraries, which is just sad for a whole slew of reasons all its own. Damn Amazon and its Kindle Books app. No wonder they say print is dead.

And speaking of dead things, Charles was coming our way, a fake smile on his face that just made me want to punch his teeth in. Why hadn't I taken Samuel's weapon with me? It was easily concealable after all, although the dress I had on might have made that….interesting, but his fat stupid mouth could have been the silencer. Pushing that impulse to the side, I was grateful when Catherine put a hand on my back and shot me a subtle glance, silently conveying that he wasn't worth the trouble. Not yet, anyway.

"Catherine, you look as splendid as ever! Oh, and greetings to you as well, fledgling." The second part of his little greeting lacked much of his earlier enthusiasm. "I didn't expect _you_ to show up tonight. This event seems a little… out of your comfort zone." Translation, how can you poor bitch dare to show your face around here?

I made it a point to keep my free hand behind my back as I shrugged in response, the nails of my hand digging into the skin of my palm. Charles was one of the few people that made me want to tear his eyes out and smash them under my high heels that Catherine had talked me into wearing before we had left her penthouse. As it was, it took a considerable amount of willpower to keep a civil smile on my face. "Lady Catherine thought it was good I get out, see some of my fellow Kindred in their natural environment."

"Did she now?" The question sounded more like a challenge than anything, good to know that this wasn't a one sided dislike.

"Yes, I did." Catherine threw in with a blinding smile. "After all, I have to show her the ropes, and what better way is there to teach her than such a prestigious gathering?"

"Hmph, do as you please. I have other things to worry about." He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I mean I knew that my decisions as the prince would be the cause of some controversy, but someone actually had the gall to put a price on my head! Someone is going to wish they had never been Embraced if I find out who was responsible."

"Oh, I've heard of that, but I thought it was called off a day later?" Catherine asked in a confused tone of voice. I have to admit, she was an incredibly good actor, although having a couple centuries of practice probably helped.

"It was, still there were apparently some very eager assassins in town. My human bodyguards were all murderer along with two of my best Kindred servants. All staked and burned. It was on the news earlier today. Thankfully we were able to spin it as an ill advised gang hit." He explained impatiently and rolled his eyes. "It's so troubling to find competent employees, especially if you're looking amongst the cattle of this city."

Normally I would have been angry about the cattle remark, but I was too busy hiding my shock. All those people, they were dead because I wanted to lure an apparent thief into the open? Because of me? It took all of my willpower not to show any signs of my thoughts. In the safety of my own head I just wanted to start screaming in horror at the revelation. Thankfully Charles had since turned his attention elsewhere, leaving me and Catherine alone as I looked up into the older woman's face. She hugged me, briefly, and shook her head, but said nothing about the incident for the rest of the night. Even that much made the raw sting of those deaths a little easier for me to bear though.

If only I had known, I should have known that things wouldn't be as easy as that. Things never were, so why start now? Still, for the rest of the night I was left blissfully unaware that there was more to the murders than anyone thought at first. Besides, I hadn't been the one to post the actual hit, it had just been my idea….which was still a pretty big thing but whatever helps you sleep at night right? It wasn't until I almost ran into someone with a green snake charm around her neck that my night got a lot more interesting, albeit for another reason altogether.

"Oh, my ap-" She began, but then her face went from pleasant to curious when she saw me fully. At a glance I knew she was a vampire, mainly because her face looked more reptilian than human, her eyes slitted like that of a snake's, but beyond that she was unremarkable. That's not to say she wasn't pretty, just for supernatural elements it was her face that made her stand out. Which made me wonder what the Masquerade would say about that, unaware that she was without the magical illusion that made it easier for her and others like her to walk among human society without drawing attention. I was seeing her without the mask, and the recognition on her face said she knew exactly what I was. "Greetings, Cainite. I heard we had a new member to our society, but I hadn't heard you were….so pretty." She all but purred, which caused all kinds of 'creepy' alarm bells to start ringing in my mind. Call me paranoid, but you don't tell someone something like that during such an event, the rumors that could be started alone if we were seen leaving at the same time would be enough to brand me as the newest Follower of Set for years to come… probably or I'm just overreacting.

"Uh...hi? Sorry but who are you exactly?" Was all I could think to say at the time. It was hard enough not to stare, and in retrospect, I think that was the point. These guys are everywhere after all, so it's not hard to imagine this particular Follower had been put in my path for this very reason.

She giggled sweetly and held out a hand, which I saw had a number of gold bangles engraved with ancient hieroglyphics. I didn't take the offered limb, too unnerved and entranced in equal parts to move. "Sorry, I realize my unmasked visage can be quite intimidating for the newly initiated, Cainite. But you need not fear, we're in Elysium as far as the Camarilla is concerned, and as such, violence is strictly prohibited."

"Elysium? The paradise within the underworld of greek mythology?" I asked her in confusion. And I really was, not my fault that no one had thought of a better name than that for what amounted to a 'no conflict' zone.

The Setite seemed impressed that I was knowledgeable regarding the ancient myths however, even if I had gotten the meaning wrong in regards to what Elysium meant for the Kindred. "Indeed, but here it amounts to that no one can come to harm while under the Camarilla's protection, without harsh repercussions of course. I am pleasantly surprised that you have an understanding of the old ways."

"I was a nerd in life." I replied, relaxing, albeit slightly, now that we had gotten past the introductions, so to speak. Somehow I doubted that the Camarilla's protection would mean much to those people who had murdered Charles' men.

The Setite smirked, revealing two pointed fangs that looked more like a viper's set of venomous teeth than proper vampire fangs. "And funny as well? That is indeed a rarity. Too often something seems to get lost when one is Embraced, but I'm happy to see not everyone is so affected." Right, then why was I getting the impression she was eying me like a mouse she was thinking about devouring? Before I could ponder that hungry, soul searing look she was giving me, a darkly tanned hand fell on my shoulder. "What is your name Cainite? If we're to get to know each other, we should start somewhere, yes?" Just as I started to dart my eyes around for any sign of Catherine, of someone to get me away from this very dangerous woman, I heard another voice interrupt my thoughts.

"Alex, my dear so good to see you again! I was wondering if you would show up tonight." Slowly I turned to the owner of the voice, careful not to show any outward reaction. There, right in front of me stood Sarah, looking completely different than yesterday. She had dyed her hair black, put on a lot of make up, and had dispensed with the black trenchcoat and armor underlayer she'd been wearing the other night. In its place was a strapless blue dress that looked more functional than sexual, unlike my own low cut black ensemble. In short, she looked like someone else. "It's good to see you again childe. You have a way of making the most interesting conversations."

"Thank you." I replied courteously and nodded my head in her direction, still wondering what the hell she was doing here. I had no doubt that she was dangerous but walking in here alone was suicide, even for her.

"No need to thank me." She told me with a broad smile before she turned to the Setite. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Mary-Ann, from Chicago." The Setite, for her part, managed to keep her smile on her face, but she knew when she was being outflanked as 'Mary-Ann' moved in to put herself between me and her, ignoring the offered hand Sarah jammed out in front of her for good measure.

"Charmed." The Setite replied stiffly, before grasping the offered limb with far more force than was necessary, but Sarah only grinned as she returned the gesture. The silent pissing match had the Setite wincing minutely, pain crossing her reptilian features as she was outmatched with ease before she was allowed to pull her hand away. "I fear I must be going fellow Cainites. Excuse me." While she kept her pace slow and measured, it didn't take much to see the Setite was doing her best not to appear like she was running, one hand gingerly rubbing at the limb Sarah had turned into pulp.

I waved at her in farewell. As soon as she was out of hearing range I turned to the woman next to me and hissed at her in a terse whisper. "What the hell are you doing here? Do you have any fucking idea what will happen to you if someone even thinks that you are… you know who?"

"Who? Lord Voldemort?" Sarah said with a cocky grin and rolled her red eyes in response. "It was over twelve years ago kid, and yeah, granted, a lot of these guys have long memories, but most of them were in LA. The few that are left know better than to come after me without a small army." The cocky smile on her face dissolved though as she started to walk to a quiet corner of the main hall with me in tow. Once we were sure of our immediate privacy, only then did she nod in understanding for my worry. "Why do you think I'm in this ridiculous get up? I might be pretty badass, but I ain't invincible, and I know it. I've taken the risks into consideration, but this was too big to pass up. What better way to get the lay of the land than to mingle with your enemies?"

"Yeah, great idea, only problem, this small army you were mentioning? It's in there, along with all its friends and cousins and mothers!" I told her as quietly as I could even though I wanted to scream at her until I had her begging for mercy and silence. "How could you be so arrogant? If Samuel were here he'd tell you that he doesn't need an army to take you out!"

"If he _wanted_ to take me out, maybe that'd even be true, but he made his loyalties very clear last night. It isn't to the Camarilla." Sarah replied, completely unaffected by my outburst.

"Huh?" I said ever so intelligently. "What are you talking about? He's watching over me because the Camarilla leadership ordered it."

"Again, that might be true, but I don't need to have telepathy to know he likes you kid. He'd watch over you even if they ordered him to another fledgling." She stated, that ever present confidence strong as ever.

"What? Damn… I thought he knew that I wasn't interested in men." I muttered, completely missing the point the Brujah was trying to make. You try keeping your cool when you're confronted with someone that could literally kill you with their pinky though, see how well you do under that kind of pressure.

Sarah unsurprisingly chuckled and shook her head at that. "Kid, get your mind out of the gutter. It isn't like that. Think of yourself as an adorable duckling that is as fluffy as it is clumsy, or that annoyingly cute little sister you just can't help but love even as they drive you insane."

"Thanks, I feel so much better." I grumbled before flicking my blue eyes towards Sarah's face when her words sunk in. "That...actually makes sense, no wonder he's been so protective."

"Now you're getting it girl." Sarah cheered before nudging me in the side, a little harder than was necessary, before crossing her arms over her chest. "As I said before, you have a good friend on your side Alex, don't squander it. Speaking of our gray eyed friend, where is he?" The morose look that fell over my face clued her into what had happened last night. "Got into a fight huh?"

"Yeah….and he wasn't even trying to start one. I snapped at him, and he didn't deserve it." I admitted and hung my head. "Long story."

"Well, this isn't the place to talk about it anyway Alex, but next time you see him…." She trailed off, but she didn't have to finish the thought for me to understand what she was saying. I nodded, sullen at the reminder of one of the last clear memories I had before I drank myself into a stupor. Sarah didn't let me sulk though, and nudged me with her elbow again before directing my gaze to the dark skinned woman that had all but ambushed me. She had only just reached the door, her hand still cradled closely, but it was already starting to look better from what I could tell from here. "I think it goes without saying snake eyes is bad news."

"I couldn't tell." I snarked, before a shiver passed through my body at the memory of our thankfully brief conversation before Sarah had stepped in. "Thanks for driving her off by the way."

"No problem, but word of advice, stay away from the Setites." Sarah warned as the woman in question left the museum, her dignity intact but only by a thread. "In some ways, they're worse than the Sabbat. At least with the shovelheads you know what to generally expect since they're about as subtle as a bull in a china shop. The Setites though? They're as cunning as the snakes they worship, and they believe hard in what they're doing. That means they aren't afraid to manipulate everyone around them to achieve their goals, whatever they might be. The fact dark, skinny, and fangy went after you not five minutes after you walked in the door says they have their eyes on you."

"Great, as if I hadn't enough problems already." I groaned and shook my head. "Still, what are you doing here? I doubt it was to give me a pep talk, or just look at all those guys lying to each other."

"No." She admitted freely, a hint of steel entering her red eyes. "I had hoped to maybe overhear someone, or get someone to talk about Eliza's execution. I'm not so much interested in the executioner as in the one who ordered it personally. A prince seldomly has to deal with something like that himself, usually they delegate stuff like that."

"Like a sheriff?" I asked, remembering the word used for LaCroix's top dog from yesterday's conversation. Which made me realize I hadn't seen anyone fitting that description around Charles since the day I'd met him, which I found rather strange.

Sarah though nodded, her red eyes gleaming in quiet approval at my accurate observation before the light died just as quickly, a sign I would later come to recognize as her making a solid effort not to lose her control and rip someone's head off in a fit of rage. "The Sheriff would have killed her, yes. But the one I met wasn't too big on decision making, but he was pretty fucking big. The giant sword he carried made me wonder if he wasn't compensating for something. He was more of a follower than anything though. Still, not everyone can have someone like that around. There is the possibility that you've already met Charles' sheriff without knowing it."

That sent both a spike of fear and anger through me. The thought to have been so close to Eliza's murderer… he might have thought that it was justified, if they even bothered to think in such a fashion, but I didn't. She didn't deserve that, not in a million years. I clenched my hands slowly, trying to control the emotional storm raging within me. "What's the plan?"

"I beg your pardon?" She asked me with a raised eyebrow. Was she trying to play coy with me? I didn't have the patience for that, not then.

"Stop playing around. I want her murderer as much as you, more so. So don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Oh I understand, and that's why you're not going anywhere near this one." Sarah retorted, making it abundantly clear she wasn't about to change her mind. Bad move on her part, but before I could begin to protest or act against her, a knife appeared and stopped just shy of my throat. "Did you even see where I pulled my knife from?" Sarah asked, her face inches away from mine so there was no chance of a passerby seeing what was happening, but more importantly, so her words weren't lost in transition. "No? Then what hope do you think you'd have against a Sheriff as you are right now?"

I couldn't remember what happened afterward to be honest, I just knew that I felt an overwhelming surge of anger that seemed to pulse around me. And in the next moment I had taken the knife from her hand, the point turned so that it was just shy of my jamming it through her chin and up into her brain. Hatred burned through my veins like a wildfire. "Why didn't you stop me then? Don't pretend to be something you're not!" I hissed out as I got in her face this time, knife turned against her throat which had begun to draw a thin line of blood. I was on the verge, and while a small part of my brain shouted at me to stop before she turned the tables on me, and she very well could have, I wasn't listening. "You don't seethe with the agony of the one you loved killed, never knowing her reasons for doing what she did and with the knowledge that the only solace you can find is the destruction of her murderer. So don't pretend to understand me, or to be superior. Because you're not, you're just older. Nothing more." I would never know where my hate filled speech had come from, but I had spoken the truth at that moment. All my torment generated an aura that even affected her, the infamous fledgling before me. Perhaps it was due to the strength of my emotions or something else but in that moment I was the more dangerous one of the two of us, even if only for a brief moment.

Even then however, Sarah didn't back down as our gazes locked and neither were willing to yield to the other. Eventually though, she nodded ever so minutely, careful of the knife's edge against her throat, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't afraid of the weapon in my hand. "Alright, you're right, and for that I'm sorry. But I'm trying to keep you alive, because Eliza wouldn't want you to throw your unlife away in a fit of vengeance induced rage."

"You're right, she wouldn't." I said lowly and glared at her. "Which is why I won't walk around like a psychopath and demanding vengeance. We must find the one responsible, then, and only then we can plan our vengeance because to attack them here would get us killed."

"Glad to see you using your br-"

I cut her off by pressing the knife into her throat once more, my blue eyes alight with pure rage. "And one other thing. Never, and I mean it. _Never_ , use Eliza's name against me again. There won't be a next time." Her eyes conveyed that she understood because if she moved ever so slightly, her pretty little throat would be cut open. I slowly stepped back and gave her the knife, hilt first. She quickly made it disappear into a hidden sheath I hadn't seen, wrapped around her left thigh which was hidden by her blue dress, but the view unsurprisingly did nothing for me. "You go do your stuff, I do mine. I don't think we should be seen together. Nor can I stand you at the moment." I told her coldly, and walked back into the crowd of arrogant, pompous vampire nobles, or whatever they were called. I didn't give two shits at that moment regardless, but all the while I felt Sarah's eyes on my back until I turned and saw she had disappeared into the crowd. As for our confrontation, there was no sign, save for a couple of spots on the ground that could have easily passed as red wine. Are you getting a Game of Thrones vibe yet? No? You will, trust me.

My attention was diverted by a commotion further in the crowd. I saw Catherine, a strange, amused little look on her face that made me wonder what was about to happen when I saw Antonio firing off a rapid flurry of expletives in a foreign language. The reason became obvious from the stains on the front of his gaudy suit. "Hmm, what a shame." Catherine mused, oddly pleased with something but what I couldn't begin to guess, until I saw the drunk woman stumbling back from the man of the hour. It wasn't her however that her gaze was on, it was her master, her vampiric master, that the Toreador was looking at as I realized he was just as wobbly on his feet as his pet ghoul was. "I told you drinking was a bad idea." She whispered in my ear, "and now you're about to find out why."

Embarrassing yourself in public is one thing. Embarrassing yourself at a vampire's private party? You might as well slit your wrists and get it over with because from a societal standpoint among these people, they remember such incidents for years, decades, perhaps even centuries, and you. Never. Live. It. Down. Furthermore, this wasn't just any private party, the most influential Kindred from the east coast had gathered here today, and this was amongst the worst places to embarrass yourself. Well maybe in front of the whole UN council is worse, but my point still stands, it's bad, very bad. And if you're a lowly ghoul? It's worse, because they tend to be quietly disposed of behind closed doors when something of this magnitude occurs and their masters end up the butt of every joke for the rest of their unlives. At least as a Kindred you have a chance to recover some measure of your reputation.

To sum it up, Catherine had not only kicked Antonio in the face, at his own party no less, without laying a hand on him directly, but she had also dealt a heavy blow to another vampire in the process by convincing his ghoul to share a drink that was a bit stronger than she was prepared for. So when he took a 'sip' from the ghoul, he was also similarly affected in short order. And make no mistake, she was solely responsible as she happily shared with me. "Never accept a drink from someone at these parties, you never know what might be in it."

"Why?" I asked in a tense whisper, referring as to why she had done this in the first place.

She shrugged but shared her reasoning. "It's an old grudge. The history would bore you. Suffice to say that he was gaining more influence than I would allow him to have, so he had to be removed from the equation. Now, well, they'll certainly talk about this party for decades to come." She chuckled darkly, wholly content in the knowledge it had been her that had given the rest of the Kindred something to talk about.

I couldn't help but wonder, would she even hesitate to do something similiar to me should I ever prove equally influential? The answer was most likely a big fat 'yes'. Catherine loved her position of power and she wouldn't relinquish it or share it with anyone without a fight.

Still, while this little scene had been educational, it wasn't why I had come here. I could however use the fact that I was currently talking to a Primogen to my advantage. "Catherine, I have a question if you don't mind?" She gave me the sign to go on, which I did without further hesitation. It helped that she was probably in a pretty good mood after making a fool of two vampires in one shot. "What exactly is Charles' job? I mean aside from being rude to me all the time. It just seems like a lot of work to manage a city all by himself." If I thought I was being clever in my attempt to disguise my real intentions, I was sorely mistaken.

"Oh dear, Charles doesn't do that. I however wonder why you would want to know?" Catherine asked, although something told me she knew exactly what I was trying to ask, but she was allowing me a chance to dig myself a hole that I was more than happy to jump into.

"Well it's just… when I was talking with Jack the other night… he warned me about a Sheriff. And I would like to avoid someone who has the authority to stake me on sight. Especially given the fact that Charles and I don't get along, at all." I told her and made sure to put a healthy dose of fear into my voice.

Catherine sighed and shook her head before putting her hand on the middle of my back. The way the predatory gleam in her eyes softened however clued me into the fact she was well aware of what I was truly after. "Listen to me well Alex, you do not want anything to do with Charles' sheriff. I don't know who gave you this information, but you don't want to find them."

"I just said that, didn't I?" I shot back smartly.

Catherine only clucked her tongue in disapproval. "I wasn't born yesterday Alex, nor am I a stranger to the revenge game. Do yourself a favor, and don't pursue this further. Please." I think it was the 'please' that caught my attention more than the rest of her plead for me to give up the idea of avenging Eliza's murder. She had just humiliated a high profile member of their society, and she was _asking_ me not to get involved further with my pursuit of vengeance? It was...shocking, in a pleasant, if very unexpected sense, but I think she knew what I'd say long before I was able to speak again.

"I'll think about it." I told her as calmly as I could. Problem was I already knew that I couldn't simply give it up, and I think Catherine knew it too as I walked away from her side. She watched me leave but made no move to stop me either. I almost wished that Samuel was there with me, so that he could give me some fortune cookie wisdom or something of the like. Or I could just ask him to do his freaky, scary stuff and bring me the heads of the ones responsible, which wouldn't work because they would turn to ash. Damn, this whole vampire thing sure complicated things.

"Red eyes." I heard a familiar voice call out, and sure enough, I saw Juliet a ways away greeting a slightly bemused Sarah. It was easy to spot the Malkavian since she was...eccentric, in her choice of formal wear. A black and white striped miniskirt, thigh high black buckled boots, and a matching striped top completed the admittedly, odd look where everyone else was wearing either a dress like me, or were in a business suit and tie for this little get together. Needless to say, Juliet stood out like a sore thumb, but no one said a word to her as she leaned towards Sarah, her brown eyes unusually focused for about ten whole seconds when she addressed the Brujah. "You look pretty with explosions."

"Ah, Malkavian. I might have guessed." Sarah replied, but smiled warmly all the same as she shrugged in response to Juliet's insane ramblings. Insane to most people anyway, but her easy acceptance of Juliet said she'd dealt with her share of Malkavians already. "Glad to see someone recognizes me."

"Hard not to with so many wonderful voices shouting your praises." Juliet replied, her brown eyes darting to and fro once more, but there wasn't such a frantic edge to the way they bounced around as I started to weave my way to the pair. "Many curse you too, just jealous of the pretty explosions. You… but you… you seek something… hunter… you seek the hunter."

"I do." Sarah replied softly, and imagine my surprise when Juliet nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry but I need to know who it was. If you can help me I'd appreciate it."

"Can't talk here. Too many ears, all of them looking for excuse to make their own voices heard." Juliet whispered back, none too quietly I might add, but such is how a Malkavian works. "Many want to know, afraid, all afraid of the unknown… and perhaps it is more than one hunter you seek."

"Nothing's ever easy." Sarah grumbled but nodded before putting a hand on Juliet's shoulder. The madwoman nuzzled her cheek into the hand and smiled strangely, but not in a threatening way. "I'll be back."

"I know. Always know, Juliet does. That is our curse after all." I lost track of them for all of two seconds, but when the crowd parted and I was able to see Juliet again, Sarah had disappeared. I blinked and looked around, but there was no trace of her having ever being in front of the Malkavian Primogen. But what really got my attention was when Juliet looked towards me and nodded, giving me the creepy impression she knew I had heard every word spoken between them. "You, watch your temper. Dangerous can it be? It can be! To friend and foe, to friend and foe!" I took that as my hint to back away very, very slowly. But she followed me, still smiling widely. "Pretty, petty bird. Wanna play? Wanna sing?" Those vampires that had turned to look at Juliet soon turned away, knowing a Malkavian when they saw one so they knew better than to interfere unless she turned dangerous. The way she crooned at me though said she was far more interested in finding a dark corner and possibly getting her hands under my dress, or that's the impression she gave everyone I imagine, myself included I'll admit.

Perhaps she was just trying to find bread crumbs to feed me with, since she seemed to be of the opinion that I was a… powerful bird with anger management issues. It wasn't until she caught up with me that I realized the truth when she slipped me a piece of paper. Then she looked me in the eye and slowly lifted her hand, index finger extended. I watched her, transfixed, wondering what she would do. She softly touched the tip of my nose with her index finger. "Boop." She said with a giggle and walked off, leaving me to stare after her in utter confusion.

"Huh." Was all I could say as she walked off, humming a jaunty tune as she went on her merry, crazy way. The piece of paper she'd given me though, I wisely tucked away for later perusal, not about to take a chance in the center of a crowd of unfriendly eyes, Catherine's included. Yeah, Malkavians might be utterly bonkers, but don't underestimate them or it's your ass on the line, or your sanity. They can induce madness in everyone around them if pressed hard enough, but I'd find that out later, as it was I was already pretty unnerved by the whole affair that had just played itself out. Thankfully though everyone else only shook their heads, not about to guess what drove a Malkavian to do what they did, when they decided to do anything that made sense. I was in no shape to answer a bunch of questions I had no answers to anyway.

I was wondering if she gave Sarah another paper or if I was the only one to get one. I hoped that she got one as well, because I wouldn't put it past Catherine to look through my stuff if she had a reason to. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but after what I had seen already that night, nothing would surprise me at this point. For the moment though, I had a lot to think about, and was just about to start for the door, when I saw something that would have stopped my heart on the spot if I hadn't already left such a thing behind me.

Ever see a Tzimisce in polite society? No? There's a reason for that. Most wouldn't dare show their face in public because like the Nosferatu and the Samedi, they're freakish in appearance, but unlike the two clans I mentioned, they do it to themselves, on purpose. This one however looked utterly, completely mundane, except for one little detail. While her back was to me when I first saw her, I could see something along her spine that looked like a centipede of bone and sinew just poking above her dress's top. When she turned to face me though, there was something utterly….malevolent in her otherwise human face. "Greetings and salutations, my lady." She offered, all manner of polite, as she curtsied elegantly, but the display did little to get the hairs on the back of my neck to stop standing on end. "You are newly Embraced, yet you recognize you are in the presence of something….more." She replied, noting my stupefied horror.

"That's one way of putting it." And my snark strikes again. I just cannot seem to help myself, even when facing a Lovecraftian flesh shaper that could turn me inside out with a stray thought. If not for the simple fact we were in an Elysium zone, she might have done just that and more, just to prove a point.

"It is not uncommon for neonates of the lesser clans to shudder in our presence." She said with a small shrug, her gold flecked hazel eyes captivating in their own way, yet not in the same way as snake lady's had been. This was more of a, 'I wonder how much skin I could get off of your still unliving body' kind of stare, so naturally I was fighting the very strong urge to make myself scarce. She seemed to take no end of pleasure from my discomfort either as she casually continued talking. "You might ask yourself why we change our own bodies, well, it merely serves as another tool and as a reminder of our superiority." Arrogant ego much? Not that I could blame her for thinking herself my better, but sheesh lady. Laying it on a bit thick wouldn't you say? Instead of saying anything of the sort, somehow, I only nodded in agreement. The Tzimisce smiled, revealing far too many teeth than should have been able to fit in a 'human' mouth. "I am glad to see you are able to control that tongue of yours I had heard so much about, fledgling. I might have found a use for it if you had insulted me in the comfort of my home."

'Gulp.' Normally such a comment might have gotten something witty in retort, but I wasn't about to, nor was I able, to dignify that with a direct response. Thankfully, I didn't have to. "Ah there you are darling." I shouldn't have been surprised to see Lucifer, smug smile and cocky arrogance practically oozing out of every pore as he swaggered up to me and the Tzimisce. "Clara, dear, so good to see you in public. I didn't think they let your clan out of their little dungeons for little gatherings like this."

"Charles recognizes my usefulness." 'Clara' replied stiffly, her gold flecked eyes narrowing in disdain.

"Of course he does." Lucifer replied sounding rather patronizing in my opinion. "I'm certain that you have a lot to offer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I don't know what kind of death wish Lucifer had, but the simmering anger in the flesh shaper's gaze was enough to make me wish I was anywhere else, perhaps even in the next city over.

"Why of course exactly what I said my dear." The man replied with a smirk on his face. "Whatever could I mean otherwise?" It was only when I saw his female companion, a dark skinned, angry looking woman that oozed her own aura of danger and confidence, that I started to relax, oddly enough as she put her arm on Lucifer's shoulder while producing a wicked looking dagger from a sheath on her thigh much as Sarah had earlier. The way she went about skinning an apple with said dagger as she sized up the Tzimisce was...kinda hot in retrospect. "Mazikeen, I was just talking to an acquaintance of mine, Clara, have you two met?"

"Can't say that I have." She replied before she took a bite out of her apple that was already missing most of its outer skin by that point. I got the undeniable impression she was imagining what Clara would look like without her own skin. How right I would be later when I found out she was a bona fide demon that doubled as both Lucifer's friend with benefits and his master torturer from when he still ruled Hell.

"My, my I didn't expect you to be here." A voice spoke up from behind me and I slowly turned around to see what or who had sneaked up behind me this time. A man looking in his mid twenties, with pitch black hair, fair skin although nowhere near as pale as a vampire, and interesting silverish, light blue eyes. He was clean shaven and in an expensive suit that seemed to fit him perfectly. "Lucifer Morningstar, haven't seen you in a while. Walked by your old home, didn't find you there. No note, no letter, nothing. I was so disappointed."

"No, it can't be." Lucifer shot back with a slowly widening grin, Clara and myself forgotten save by Maze who continued to peel away her apple's skin before eating more of it. "Is that you Azazel? My you have changed."

The way Lucifer greeted the man said they were old friends. Old friends indeed. Old as time itself you might say. "I could say the same to you. So, how is 'the city of angels' treating you?"

"Oh you have no idea. You should come visit sometime. I could introduce you to this delightful detective who's quite a lot of fun." Lucifer replied grinning widely. "I have to admit I have even grown fond of her daughter, little devil that she is."

"You? Fond of a child? I thought I'd never see the day that would happen." Azazel said with a chuckle and sent a grin at both Lucifer and Mazikeen. "Good to see you again as well, Mazikeen."

"Azazel." Was her simple reply although she didn't seemed to mind his presence at all. The little smile she sent his way said as much at least.

"And who is this?" The man who shared his name with a fallen angel asked and glanced at the Tzimisce. "Huh, one of those. Can't say that I'm too interested in your kind."

"Yet it's not everyday I see one of yours." Clara replied coolly. "There used to be a time these gatherings had standards, now it seems they allow anyone into them." I was pretty sure that was directed at both Azazel and myself since she flicked her gaze over us both as she said it.

"Please, the only time these gatherings had standards were those when _you_ weren't allowed in." Azazel shot back with an eyeroll before he turned his gaze to me. "What about you? You are doing fine here with all these boring old vamps?"

"I'm doing better, even though that smug asshole swooped in." I replied, earning an amused snort from Maze while Lucifer clutched at his heart in mock agony.

Azazel only smiled in response to my comment about the devil in question. "Yeah, well you'll have to get used to that. He's been that way since a long time ago. Don't even care to remember since when."

"And I would like to protest! I may be smug but I am most certainly not an asshole as you put it." Lucifer chimed in, amusement evident as ever.

"Says you." Maze shot right back, having since finished her apple before she casually tossed the core to Clara. "Be a good pet and get rid of that."

"You dare?" The woman in question hissed, eyes spewing with indignation.

"We can take this outside if ya like." Maze countered, and flicked her knife's tip underneath one of her fingernails. The message was pretty easy to read though. She was not afraid of the Tzimisce, not in the slightest.

"Just shut up." Azazel told her with an eyeroll. "If you wish to fight it will be a brief one, although I have to admit that the idea of watching as Mazikeen kicks your ass seems appealing to me."

"Oh, I would simply _love_ to see that!" Lucifer was quick to agree and looked at the vampire with a predatory gleam in his eyes. "So? Would you be so kind and provide the entertainment for this evening?"

To my amazement, although a part of me wished she would have risen to the challenge, Clara took a breath and smiled darkly at the pair before she started away. "I will not sully my hands for your enjoyment."

"Pity." Lucifer said with a dramatic sigh. "I suppose that means that I will have to find new ways to amuse myself."

"Wait for it." Azazel said quietly. He didn't have to tell me, having already gotten the hint from our last meeting that Lucifer was incorrigible, to say the least.

True to form, Lucifer soon turned his gaze on me, that cheeky, smug grin back in full force. "How about you? Dear Alexandra. Care to join me for a night full of pleasure and ecstasy?"

"There it is." Was the comment he earned with that remark.

"I told you before, I am interested in women, not men." I repeated myself, and found myself smiling at the smug bastard despite having turned him down a few times already. He was harmless, at least in this sense anyway, and as much as I didn't want to admit it, he and his companion had driven away Clara.

"Maze can join in if it makes you feel better, love." He offered, ever so generously, and given that he was just as tempting as last time, I once again had a hard time saying 'no'. It didn't help that Maze looked more than a little hopeful, albeit in a subdued way, when the offer was made for her without any input from her personally.

"Please continue, this is turning out to be rather entertaining." Azazel said with a small smirk evident on his face as he sipped on a glass of champagne. Where he got it from I had no idea. "It's not often people tell him no."

"I thought you were supposed to be on my side, brother." Lucifer exclaimed in mock hurt and clutched his chest once more.

"Who said that I'm not? But if our positions were reversed, then you would be far worse than me."

"Valid." Lucifer was forced to concede with a guilty shrug, not that it seemed to bother him in any shape or form. Instead, he clapped his hands theatrically just as Maze stepped to the side so she was no longer leaning on the bastard. "Well, in that case, my previous offer still stands darling. It turns out I'm in town a bit longer than anticipated due to some technical difficulties in securing a flight back to LA. Oh well, I'll manage here well enough I suppose."

"Of course, how unfortunate that there is no other way for you to travel." Azazeal said, and rolled his eyes in retort. "At least try to come up with something more convincing."

"What I was supposed to say? That I enjoyed the change of scenery and wanted it to last a little bit longer?"

"For example, yes." His apparent 'brother' said and smiled at Lucifer. "Now was that so hard?"

"Now I remember why we only visit each other for short amounts of time. Having Amendandial hovering over my shoulder is bad enough, but at least you aren't trying to kill me via proxy." Lucifer replied though his words lacked any malice.

"Amendandial? Really?" Azazeal asked, intrigued by this bit of news about as much as I was. Just how big was Lucifer's family? And why would anyo-nevermind. I forced myself to listen to the conversation at hand instead of dwelling on something so obvious. "I have to ask is he still as stuck up as ever?"

"Oh yes, still as humorless as you remember him. Got even more moody broody honestly."

"That such a thing is even possible." Azazel said with a shake of his head, apparently unable to believe such a statement.

"I know!" Lucifer exclaimed emphatically. "I could hardly believe it myself!"

"You will have to tell me all about that later. For now I believe we have ignored this young woman long enough, don't you agree?"

"Oh yes, most certainly." Was the quick reply and soon enough, I was once again faced with a lust filled stare from Lucifer himself. "I hope you didn't mind our little family reunion? It's been so long. Not that that is an excuse to ignore a being of great beauty such as yourself."

"I think I preferred it when you ignored me." I pointed out but berated myself for it. If I had truly wished for them to forget about me, then why didn't I leave while they were busy?

"Gonna need to learn how to lie better than that, fangs." Maze was more than happy to point out, having since returned to cleaning her fingernails with that dagger of hers.

"You're not the first to tell me that." I grumbled moodily and crossed my arms.

Let it never be said that these little vampire parties are boring. You get a lot of interesting things shoved in your face. Blood, betrayal, rumors, advice you didn't want, and other things you never wanted to hear or see.

"No reason to be so moody young one." Azazel told me, a smirk pulling at his own devilishly handsome face. Well, in his case angelic, but I didn't know that at the time. "Although that explains some of the stories I've heard about you."

"Stories?" I asked meekly and looked up into Azazel's face for any clue as to what he was talking about.

"Yeah, the usual, burning down a warehouse. Killing Sabbat for sport, allegedly. Making friends with Nosferatu. You know you should go easy on Samuel."

"What- how do you know him?" I sputtered, having not expected to hear that from a complete stranger of all people.

"Well that's quite simple. He's a friend. Came back yesterday all frowny faced." He explained, a careless shrug ruffling his suit a little. "Meh, don't worry about it. He'll forgive you if he hasn't already."

"Uh… he's your friend? And now you're at this party?" I asked hesitantly wondering if I was the only one seeing the connection there. "What exactly is your job? I don't mean to pry but I doubt anyone could just waltz in and… you know."

"Oh don't worry, you're not prying at all." He was quick to reassure me. "As for my job, well I'm an English and Maths teacher. With an interest in ancient history… the human kind. The other kind bores me to be honest, rather stagnant." It bored him, if I had known just who he was at that time I wouldn't have been surprised, but since I didn't I just wondered if this guy was for real.

"You're a teacher? How did you get in here then?" I asked, too stunned to accept the fact Azazel was a mere teacher when almost everyone else in attendance was some high profile vamp in some way or another. As for those that weren't vamps, they were either ghouls, guards, or guests of those attending, sometimes all three at the same time.

"Oh that's easy, I walked in. Not like anyone was too willing to stop me. They were suddenly busy you see. And what's with this strange disbelieving way you say 'teacher'?" He questioned with raised eyebrows. "I'll have you know that I am considered to be the coolest teacher at the whole school. The kids love me."

"Seriously?" I whispered, unwilling to accept that this strange teacher was able to infiltrate such a high society event without even trying.

"Yes, why is that so hard to believe? Do I have to call my daughter to verify my claims?" Azazel said and shook his head in mock disappointment. "This is why I prefer humans, far more willing to believe or at least humor you. Sometimes utterly predictable and still they manage to surprise you."

'Sigh'. This is why you shouldn't argue with angels or demons. You just can't win, no matter which side you fall in with. Believe me, I tried. I really tried to win, but there is just no way, and the worst thing about it? The more you try, the more you end up getting annoyed by them, and the more you end up just amusing them at the same time. The matching grins on Azazel, Lucifer, and Maze's faces confirmed that as my blue eyes flicked to face to face.

"You're teacher? Now that is just golden." Lucifer butted in grinning widely and nudging Mazikeen, as if prompting her to share into some insider joke. "As I recall you weren't exactly one to follow the rules."

"True, but I can follow rules as long as I can see the sense in them or they can be adapted to certain situations." There was a lesson there, I was sure of that, especially since Azazel flicked his eyes towards me as he said it. "You might do well in coming to one of my evening classes truth be told."

"Teacher's pet already, love?" Lucifer was quick to tease me before I could refuse or accept the offer.

"You're just jealous, Lucy." Was Azazel's immediate reply as he lifted his glass in mock salute. "The games have just begun, brother." Too right he was on that. The games truly were just beginning.

 **End Notes;** _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Hello folks, hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the previous ones if not more so. As you can see a lot is going on right now, even if not all is exactly clear at the moment. That said we couldn't resist the chance of bringing Lucifer back into this in some way. And truth be told, Azazel is completely my fault. I wanted a third amusing party that wouldn't be interested in vampires. So if you don't like him, blame me. I forced him into this, like for real._

 _ **Vergil1989:**_ _That he did, but I have to admit, I rather liked Azazel. He's the better behaved version of Lucifer lol. Seriously though, having him around is promising all kinds of fun in future chapters. As for Clara and that as of yet, unnamed Setite, they'll be making future appearances as well, just far less humorous in nature, trust me. I will admit to having seriously entertained the idea of having Mazikeen and Clara throw down in the parking lot though lol, but I chose not to indulge that idea. My imagination however was all too happy to have those two go at each other's throats. P I'll let you imagine how it turned out, but needless to say, it wasn't pleasant for the loser lol. Again, all jokes aside, this I hope was a revealing look at just how dangerous being a vampire can be even without physical harm coming your way. Catherine is dangerous in her own right, as you saw, and that was more of a spur of the moment plan than anything drawn out in detail. I shudder to think what she'd be able to do if she has time to ponder the minute details of one of her plots against her enemies._

 _At any rate, thank you for your continued loyalty, and we hope to hear your thoughts and suggestions in the review section. Faves, follows, and all that are welcome as well, if anything they're encouraged. Anyway, see ya folks!_


	7. Crisis of Conscience

**Chapter 7: Crisis of Conscience**

The ride back to Catherine's tower had been quiet, not tense exactly, but it wasn't comfortable either. It didn't help that I had a lot on my mind, mainly the fake hit we had put out on Charles which had ended with more than a few people dead, except the king dick himself. Then there was the piece of paper I had gotten from Juliet, Catherine's warning about seeking out Charles' sheriff. Really it was just everything that had happened in the last few days which was weighing heavily on my mind. So lost in my own thoughts, that when we stopped and Catherine gently nudged my arm to get my attention, I flinched in response before I noticed we had arrived. She didn't respond save to pat me on the arm before getting out of the car with me not far behind.

I was tired, exhausted really, my feet were killing me, and I was in no mood to talk. Likely sensing my mood, Catherine let me go once we reached her penthouse and bid me a good night, or the vampiric equivalent at any rate. I muttered something to that effect as I walked off, and soon had the door shut behind me. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I was about to kick off my high heels when I remembered the piece of paper tucked away under my dress. Finishing what I'd been doing, I pulled it out from underneath my bra, yes I put it underneath a cup, I had to improvise since there's no pockets on your average dress, and looked over the messy, hurriedly scrawled note. It was an address, although to where I didn't know since there was nothing to tell me where Juliet was wanting me to go beyond the address itself. For all I knew her directions would lead me to a burned out office building with nothing in it. Her antics at the museum hadn't exactly left a good impression regarding her mental state, but I was determined to find out one way or the other if this would wind up being a giant waste of time.

Deciding to leave it for tomorrow, I sighed and threw myself back into the bed, flopping my arms out above my head as I did. "Ugh….what am I even doing?" I asked aloud, and got no answer for my trouble. Not that I expected one, but it would have been nice all the same. On the other hand, I was in no hurry to start hearing voices in my head, much like Juliet probably did if I were to take a guess, so the silence wasn't so unwelcome in that regard. Throwing myself on my right side, I let an aggravated groan escape me since all this thinking and pondering wasn't helping anything. And since there was still a couple hours left before the sun came up, as tired as I felt, I couldn't get to sleep. It seemed insomnia took on a whole new meaning when you were a vampire.

Deciding to do something useful, I pulled out my cellphone and punched in Samuel's number, hoping he was still up and about. I needed someone to talk to, and forgetting the fact I needed to apologize to him, he was the only person I trusted these days.

"Samuel." He said as a way of greeting. He sounded focused, like he had other concerns on his mind then my call. Not all that surprising really, but I let a relieved sigh escape me at hearing his familiar voice. "Alex?" He asked, a note of pleasant surprise in his voice.

"Yeah it's me." I replied, before remembering why I had called him in the first place.

Except I didn't get a chance to explain. "Uh sorry to do this to ya, but could we talk tomorrow by any chance? I'm kinda in the middle of something at the moment."

"Oh, um… sure I guess." I said and tried my best not to sound too disappointed. I couldn't help but wonder if he was really busy or if he was just avoiding me, not that I could blame him if it were the latter.

Before I could hang up though, Samuel put my mind at ease with what he said next. "It's good to hear from you. I'll be back as soon as the sun sets, then we can talk. In person. Alright?"

I immediately perked up at that, cheering in my mind that he had forgiven me, thankfully. "Yes, of course. I'll look forward to it."

"Great. In the meantime, try not to do anything _too_ crazy without me. My life was so boring before I met you." He chuckled, earning a light giggle from me in the process.

"Flirt. See you tonight." I stated before hanging up just as he did. That short bit of conversation between me and him had done a lot to improve my mood at least. Although now that I had already hung up I remembered the other reason I had wanted to talk with him. I wanted to ask him about his friend Azazel. The mysterious tall, dark and handsome man that had apparently kept an eye out for me, was it because he asked him to? Or simply because he wanted to do his friend a favour? Not that I was about to complain about it though, Azazel and Lucifer's timely arrival had probably saved me a lot of trouble with Clara, whoever she was to Charles and the Camarilla in general. Although, her presence at the party just made me more suspicious of Charles, not that I trusted him to begin with. Something about her didn't sit well with me at all, and even with my limited understanding of vampire politics, her presence didn't seem to fit with what I knew about how things worked. The Setite was one thing, she had been protected, more or less, simply because we had been in Elysium, yet Clara had made it known she worked for Charles within the bounds of the Camarilla. Yet it was the latter that concerned me for some reason.

Another groan escaped me because I was just running around in circles in my own head at this point. I had nothing concrete, nothing to really grasp onto in an effort to make my suspicions and feelings make any kind of sense. And again, I had time to kill, which only made it worse since I was stuck between being tired and being unable to sleep. Deciding laying in bed was pointless, I dragged myself out of its comforting embrace and slipped into a loose nightgown for the rest of the evening before shuffling my way barefoot through Catherine's penthouse. Maybe I'd borrow one of her books for a couple hours? It was something to do if nothing else, although whether I was able to focus long enough to absorb anything I read was still up for debate.

And then I smelled it, and rational, coherent thought was soon abandoned.

Granted, I hadn't really been paying much attention to my sharper senses, more in an effort to keep them from overloading me, especially during the party and anytime I had gone out, but I had let my guard down and now I couldn't think of anything else except following the scent back to its source. I knew what had drawn my attention, like a siren calling a sailor to his doom, but I was powerless to resist since the last few days had worn down my ability to ignore it any longer despite having kept myself well fed. Yep, I could smell fresh blood, and it wasn't the bottled kind either. A part of my mind knew Catherine had something to do with it, but the rest of me wasn't listening as I continued to hone in on the intoxicating smell in the air.

Predictably, Catherine was sitting in the right hand chair in her sitting room, the fireplace dying down behind her, but I didn't see her exactly. I noticed her presence, but beyond that I completely ignored the elder Toreador, my blue eyes focused solely on who was with her. My nose, and thus the rest of me, were focused on the woman that was in front of the fireplace, on the thin cut on the right side of her neck, left by one of Catherine's fingernails. Later, I'd realize this was Catherine's way of saying I needed to get over my hesitation when it came to feeding from people, and she had chosen her time and place to spring her 'trap' all too well.

My more basic instincts told me to ignore what my morals and humanity expected me to do and simply feed from such a willing source. And make no mistake, this woman was indeed willing because she took one look at me and made a 'come hither' gesture, crooking her right finger towards herself in a none too subtle fashion. It would have been so easy, the knowledge that the blood would be fresh would only amplify its delicious taste. The knowledge of the pleasure I would feel while I indulged myself was just another plus. I was tempted, I truly was. And yet I couldn't bring myself to move, neither closer nor farther away. I was frozen in place by my indecision. So, Catherine decided for me by nodding for her friend to go to me.

Her friend smiled and sashayed her way towards me without a word, her every movement almost hypnotic. A needy whimper escaped my throat since it wasn't enough Catherine was playing to my need to feed, she had also made it so that my 'first' would be in the arms of a beautiful seductress at the same time. Word of advice, when dealing with someone like Catherine, don't make the mistake of telling them your sexual preferences. Not that I was thinking about any of that as I felt my fangs elongate and fully reveal themselves from my upper teeth as the woman in front of me leaned in and made to whisper in my ear. "Ssssshhhh, let it happen." She cooed, before pulling back just enough so that the cut on her neck was on full display while she pulled her long, blonde locks out of the way. "I want this….so do you." Well, with an invitation like that, who was I to refuse?

Even as something lead me to grasp the back of her neck, both to support her weight and to make sure she didn't go anywhere, that rational part of my mind balked at what was about to happen, but I was no longer in control. The lights were on, but no one was home any longer to give a damn. My other hand snaked its way to the small of her back, and the woman gave a soft, heated moan in anticipation, her gray eyes closing as she braced herself for what was coming. She didn't have to wait long as my tongue slowly ran along the trail of blood left from the cut before my fangs found a new home in her carotid artery seconds later.

Good. Fucking. God.

Bottled blood is good in a pinch, and I'd quickly develop the habit of having some on hand for emergencies, but when that first mouthful hit my tongue, filled my throat before it burned its way down to my stomach, I was pretty sure I had swallowed liquid fire. But this was the best kind of burn you could ever imagine. It made the bottled, bagged crap I'd been tossing back seem like lukewarm piss by comparison. And no, I haven't actually drank piss, but my imagination filled in the blanks well enough.

And then there was the woman's slowly fading heartbeat echoing in my ears which further drowned out any rational thought that remained by that point. Sharper senses or not, I doubt I could have not heard the almost thunderous roar of the blonde's pulse as I continued to feed from her, draining the life out of her a thump at a time. It would have been so easy to take every drop, and since she was far from fighting me, I had no incentive to stop. If anything, the blonde was pulling me closer, hands entangling themselves both in my nightgown and my long brunette hair, in an effort to encourage me to bury my fangs deeper into her pretty neck. Not that I needed the encouragement because I was more than happy to do as she asked, all the while little whimpers and moans of pleasure escaped her with every suck. If my mouth hadn't been full, I likely would have been doing the same thing. As it were, my blue eyes were closed and close to rolling into the back of my skull. The Beast was more than happy with what was happening, and I couldn't help but agree with it in this case as my every nerve came alive as this woman poured herself into my waiting lips.

 _Stop! You need to stop!_ To this day, I don't know if it was my own voice or Eliza's, only that I heard someone shouting in the back of my head, begging me to stop before it was too late. But I didn't want to stop. I wanted to keep going until i was sucking on a dried up artery. There was no reason to anyway, not with the blonde begging for more in hushed whispers even as her heart threatened to give out on her if I kept draining her for much longer. Yet somehow, I pulled away with a loud, exhalation, and about dropped the woman to the carpeted floor. I was dizzy, disoriented, but I felt better than I could ever recall feeling in life, yet it was undercut by the building horror at how close I'd come to killing the woman in my arms.

Lowering her to the chair, I was reassured by the rise and fall of her chest, not to mention the drugged out, fucked silly look on her face although I hadn't actually done anything of the sort. For all intents and purposes I might as well have though. "She'll sleep it off, and beyond some dizziness and lightheadedness brought on by the lack of blood to her brain, she'll be fine." Catherine reassured me, no doubt in an attempt to stave off any guilt associated with what I had done to her friend, and I use the term loosely. Before I could wonder what she was doing, Catherine stood to her feet, gracefully moved to the blonde's side, and flicked her tongue over the bite marks before leaving a gentle kiss where the pinpricks had already began to fade away before she stood and turned to me, a self satisfied smirk on her regal features. "So, how do you feel now?"

Wasn't that a loaded question and a half. I felt incredible, but at the same time I wanted to scream at Catherine for putting me in that situation in the first place. Instead I started for the door, half expecting her to stop me, but Catherine let me go. I still felt her eyes on my back however, felt her approving, satisfied stare even after I had climbed into bed and thrown the covers over my head where I remained until the sun had gone down hours later.

I will say this for her, Catherine knew what she was doing. While it had been underhanded, the elder Toreador had done me a favor in the long run because that first taste of blood right from the veins of a living person is always the strongest, the most potent. Like sex, it's never the same after the first time. That said, there are varying degrees of quality when it comes to blood. Someone with the drive and motivation to get themselves a PhD for example, always tastes better than someone who was living on the streets for the better part of their lives. Whether it's the fact the PhD earner was just born able to succeed or it's the simple fact that they succeeded at all, regardless of genetics or good 'breeding', I couldn't tell you regarding the potency of the person's blood, only that as a generally accepted rule, those that are in 'upper society' always have a more powerful kick to their blood when it hits a vampire's tongue than someone that isn't. But again, in the long run, Catherine had done me a favor by tricking me as she had, because I'm….fairly sure she would have pulled me away from her ghoul's neck before I could accidentally kill her.

If I had gotten desperate enough outside of a controlled setting, I might not have been so fortunate in that sense, and then chances would have been good vampire hunters might have started tracking me down a fair bit sooner, before moving onto others in the vampire community. And trust me when I say it, vampire hunters at the last people you want sniffing around your neighborhood. Whether or not Catherine had set up that situation for my benefit or not doesn't matter though, only that she had, and while I never thanked her for it directly, I am thankful she did it at all now that I look back on the early days.

Of course, I wasn't feeling very grateful when I got out of bed once the sun had started to set. The little voice that told me that now that I had drunken blood directly from a human I had lost my humanity was especially tormenting. Made worse by the fact that I couldn't think of anything to refute those claims. Ironically I hadn't lost anything, per say, other than self respect for acting on such a strong, irresistible impulse. If I had killed that blonde however, that would have been another story, but I still couldn't find it in myself to look in the mirror once I had gotten myself together for the night. As for Catherine, she was nowhere within easy reach and I didn't want to talk to her anyway, but I could hear her talking on a cellphone in another part of the penthouse. French filled the corridor, but I didn't understand a word of it, not that I cared enough to try, being as I was pissed at her for last night.

Instead I headed for the elevator, hoping Samuel was downstairs already. If not, I'd wait, but not in Catherine's home. I was done with her, as far as last night went, even if it had….no, I was done. I'd move back into my hovel if I had to, and then...what exactly? I blew out a breath and thunked my head against the back of the elevator since this was my life now. Didn't matter where I went, I'd still be a walking corpse with a need for human blood. At least I looked nice. Small comfort that was in the grand scheme of things, but it was something at least.

Still, I wondered what my future would look like. Always prowling the streets in the search for blood while hiding in the sewers or some abandoned house for the rest of eternity? Which begged the question, just how were the Kindred able to continue their rather extravagant life style? If some of these arrogant windbags managed it, then I should be able to do it too. Well, as soon as I was able to stomach just what I've become anyway. I mean sure, I had known it the whole time, but it hadn't hit home till I drank from that blonde. As if everything before that was just a waking dream, except now it was a horrible nightmare.

"It sucks don't it?" I jerked my head away from the wall of the elevator, having missed the ding when the doors began to open, and saw Samuel standing there, a knowing, sad look in his gray eyes. "You have a little more color to your cheeks than normal Alex. Kinda clues me into what her royal highness got you to do."

Deciding to stave off the conversation that would end up being on its own, I went another route altogether as I pulled myself away from the back of the elevator. "Hey… It's good to see you. I just wanted to apologize-" I began but he held up a hand with a soft smile.

"Don't worry about it, we all let our temper get the best of us from time to time. Lets us know our limits." He told me, smile leaving his face the only thing that remained was concern. "Walk with me, please."

He offered his hand to me, and I have to confess that I hesitated. Now that I had had a taste of blood fresh from the veins could I be this close to a human being? Or would the feel of his warmth and his pulse be too much for me to bear? I found out when Samuel gave me a funny look and smiled before making the decision for me by grasping my hand in his. "Alex, I trust you remember? And I doubt you'd be holding it together so well if you had killed whoever Catherine tricked you into feeding on. And yeah, it doesn't take a mind reader to know that's what happened."

It made me feel better, if only a little, to know how he felt about it. I still couldn't meet his gaze though as I lowered my head, my voice on the verge of cracking. "I almost sucked her dry… I wanted it so much. I- for a moment I didn't care whether she lived or died as long as I got more blood."

"But you _did_ stop, that's all that matters Alex."

"This time maybe. What about next time?"

"That's a question you have yet to answer. But think about this… you care, you're afraid that you might kill someone without meaning to. What do you think, is someone who doesn't care more likely to suck them dry or not?" He shot back, voice confident as ever.

"Just because I don't want to, doesn't mean that I won't… I'm so afraid that I'll lose control. I already feel like I murdered the person I once was. Fitting, really, considering that, strictly speaking I'm a corpse wearing my face." I replied bitterly, but if I had hoped to drive Samuel back, even a little bit, I was both disappointed and pleasantly surprised when all he did was pull me close and hugged me against his firm chest. It was unexpected, in the best way possible, and while a part of me screamed to get away before I did something I'd regret, the rest remained pleasantly numb as I simply breathed in his comforting presence, so firm and unyielding despite everything that had occurred in the last few days. He was the one constant that had remained unchanged.

I felt him sigh heavily before he began to speak, in an unusually quiet voice. Quiet for him at least, but I could hear him just fine. "Easy now, I can't claim to know what it's like since I have no idea what it's like to change your species over the course of a single night. But I know you, you're a good person. I know a lot of humans that can't claim the same."

I moved to protest but he hushed me by softly pressing a finger against my lips. Which I would only later realise show just how much he trusted me, I mean I could have bitten it of in theory. "I know you think of yourself as something unnatural, probably felt that way in some manner ever since your little trip with Jack, but the truth is… I've killed people." That took me back as I flicked my blue eyes up to Samuel's face in a flash.

He shrugged and continued onward, but the discomfort in his gray eyes said he didn't like this part of his past, not that I could blame him. "Not every one of them was as deserving of death as those guys were. When I infiltrated the Society of Leopold… I was part a clean up operation, to make some mess of another cell disappear. I was part of what they called the Paladin Initiative, since I didn't want to be discovered I was forced to keep quiet. Just stand by and let them do their thing… does that mean I'm an evil person? To be honest I don't think of myself as good, I believe- no, I hope, that I'm not inherently evil. I just do what I think is the best I can do in any situation… In the end that's all any of us can do."

And now I felt like a total asshole as Samuel's monologue hit home. I was bitching about taking a sip from a willing person, and he had been forced to go through something like that, to not be able to talk about the things he'd witnessed and done? Makes my issues seem pretty small time by comparison, and while that hadn't been the point of his speech, to make his own problems seem bigger than mine, even if that was the truth of it in my opinion. I was shaken from my thoughts when he slowly turned his gaze to me, focusing his eyes on mine. "Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"No you dork." I breathed out without hesitation, and while it wasn't the most eloquent way I could have put it, the ghost of a smile it got was reassuring as I gestured inanely between us as I tried to get my thoughts in order. "No, you're not bad, Samuel. God you've been dealing with me since day one, and you've been nothing but kind, understanding, a constant thorn in my side, but one I wouldn't trade for anything in this fucked up situation."

Samuel chuckled weakly and rubbed the back of his gray head of hair before letting his hand fall to his side once more. "While it's good to know that you have such a high opinion of me, I can't help but wonder about something. If you say that I'm not a bad person, then how can you claim that you are? Because of your nature? I'm pretty sure that humans are still better at killing each other than vampires are." He had a point, and given my life before meeting Eliza and being Embraced by her, I couldn't help but agree even as a part of me still wanted to argue with him. I had already gone through a great deal of crap long before joining the V club, and there had been no need for supernatural elements to be involved to make my life so difficult at the time. And Samuel, perceptive as ever, smiled knowingly, as if sensing where my mind had gone. "Vampires, humans, doesn't matter what you are Alex. What does matter is what you do."

"When did you get so eloquent?" I asked, unable to help but smile as Samuel turned on his heel and started for our customary ride for the evening. That van of his had since become another constant element in my new life, oddly enough.

"Elementary, my teacher said I was a natural." He shot back without missing a beat. "Now you're still carrying my little gift, right? Just in case?" He asked in what reminded me of the way my dad would watch out for me before he died.

Except in this case, I stopped and opened my mouth because in my haste to leave Catherine's penthouse, I had forgotten to grab my magnum or the submachine gun from underneath the bed. Samuel chortled and shook his head at my look, which quickly morphed into a frown as I jabbed a finger into his chest. "Laugh it up Sammy."

"I will." He replied before he playfully batted my hand away. "Good thing one of us is always prepared. Seriously though, next time, don't leave the house without at least one of the guns eh?"

"Yes, _dad_." I bit out without any heat and rolled my eyes playfully before I turned serious again since I remembered a little detail. "And speaking of always prepared… did you send Azazel to watch after me?"

"Azazel? Send him?" Samuel seemed to think that the mere thought was incredibly funny because he began to laugh loudly. The frown on my face did little to get him to stop any faster, but eventually he managed to regain his composure. "I highly doubt that I could order him around like you're implying, besides you were already mad at me, didn't want you to get even angrier. Nah, I think he just noticed that I was a little down and took it upon himself to help me in his… unique way. Good guy though."

"You know him well?" I asked, far more curious now that he had set my suspicions to rest for the most part.

"Actually yes. I believe we're what modern kids would call 'bros'." Samuel told me with a small shrug. "I've watched over his daughter a few times too. She's definitely her father's child concerning the sheer amount of sarcasm she throws around."

Remembering how Azazel had spoken to Lucifer and Clara, I could only imagine what a little mini version of the guy might be like to have around. "How old is she? I mean he looks a little young for kids."

"She's adopted." Samuel stated matter of factly as we once more got settled in the van at last. We didn't pull out of the parking garage just yet though. This was too interesting to stop now, that and I had that piece of paper from Juliet with the address anyway. "And she's already sixteen. Puberty is a nightmare to deal with, let me tell you. I refuse to believe that I ever acted even remotely similar like _that_."

Forgetting the address the Malkavian had given me, I snorted and giggled at how offended Samuel sounded. "Little Sammy, going through puberty. There's something I would have loved to have seen."

"No you really wouldn't have." He said quickly and shook his head. "And I would appreciate it if we could never speak of this again."

"Alright, alright." I relented, but I still couldn't help but smirk at him all the same as I pulled out the messily scrawled note from my pants pocket. Unlike last night, I had dressed in something far more mundane than that low cut dress, which meant I actually had pockets again. That aside, I explained where I had gotten the address before asking the obvious question. "Do you know where that is?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be a bit of a drive though." He replied before a thoughtful frown pulled at his face. "Why would Juliet want us to go to an old abandoned hospital though? Nevermind, Malkavian, she probably doesn't even know for sure. There is likely something useful for us there though, that much I can _almost_ guarantee you." The emphasis he put on 'almost' didn't give me a lot of reassurance that we'd find answers there.

"That reliable?" I questioned with slight disbelief. I still had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of madness induced foresight or something of the like.

"Since it's from Juliet, yes. If it was another Malkavian, I would be more hesitant. Some of them are so mad that they know what you want, but what they want to tell you gets scrambled up before it reaches their mouth, so you get entirely different information in some cases, nonsense in others or you're just unable to understand them. Juliet though has a pretty good track record, she's given me a lot of useful intel in the past when all other avenues exhausted themselves. I still had to do the occasional favor for her in return, but her jobs are usually pretty straightforward. Just uh….don't ask about some of her stranger gigs." The almost squeamish look on Samuel's face was two parts amusing and one part fearful curiosity on my part since I couldn't help but wonder what the mad Malkavian had asked of him that could make him uncomfortable.

Then I thought I was probably better off not knowing. And so I did the best thing I could think of, I pulled a serious face and nodded at him as if I could completely understand what he was talking about. Which was a blatant lie because I had no idea, but that's enough of that. "So… abandoned hospital, how high are our chances that it will go smoothly without any difficulties?"

"You want the truth, or the sweet little lie?"

"Meh, give me the truth." I replied and shrugged my shoulders for further emphasis.

"Well, basically no chance at all. Probably a ghost that hasn't moved on will be there, not uncommon for hospitals, especially those that have been shut down. Perhaps some homeless people sleeping there for the night, as such, it wouldn't be surprising if a few of them have been drinking, thus making them a little less than friendly to strangers. Or maybe we'll stumble upon some vampire who can't mingle as easily with crowds as others, which would also make them possibly hostile."

"You mean Nosferatu?" I asked as we started on our way.

"No, there are others who have difficulties with fitting in. You already met one kind, the Samedi." Samuel gently reminded me, patient like he always was with me. "Let's just say that for some, drinking blood isn't enough." That less than ominous statement had me shivering for some reason since something in Samuel's voice told me I had been real lucky in some fundamental sense. I had no idea how true that was, but why spoil the surprise now? We had a possibly haunted hospital to explore. That's excitement enough, trust me.

Like Kullman's Diner, where the Nosferatu den was located underneath the crumbling establishment, Renwick Smallpox Hospital had also been long abandoned and left to decay over sixty years ago. As for the building itself, one of the bigger hospitals of its day at the time of its initial construction during the early 1850s, most of the interior had fallen apart, leaving nothing but a few floors and very little of the interior walls or stairwells, and the few that were left I wouldn't trust even as I am now to support my weight. The imposing, brick stone structure, gothic and dark at a glance, didn't seem all that inviting or resemble a place of healing in a time long past as when we finally found it within Manhattan's confines. Seeing the place up close did make me wonder about one thing though as I turned to Samuel. "How do you know about this place anyway?"

"Juliet was Embraced here according to her." Samuel stated matter of factly.

"When?" I asked seconds later.

"A long time ago." He replied quietly and looked around for any signs of danger once we had gotten out of the van. "She would have died otherwise, but she still relives the pain she was suffering from at that time. Never did find out what she'd been sick with, but from what I've been able to understand from her ramblings, it would have killed her if not for her Sire."

"Huh." What else could I say to that? Still, I had a bit more respect for the Malkavian madwoman as I followed Samuel to the crumbling pair of old, half rotted wooden doors that swung open with a horrendous screech. "Well that didn't sound ominous at all." I deadpanned, but my blue eyes darted about the crumbling interior laid out before us now.

"Well it nearly destroyed my sense of hearing, so I guess it was more agonizing than ominous." Samuel retorted right back as he produced his ever trusty flashlight and his sidearm, although I had no idea what his gun could do to a ghost, again provided there was one lurking around. I wasn't sure I believed if there was a ghost in this place, but a few days ago I hadn't known vampires existed, so...make of that what you will.

That didn't stop me from sticking my tongue out at him. Samuel chuckled but otherwise ignored me as we started across the dust covered floor. I could hear the fluttering of wings far above us, the rapid heartbeats of a nest of birds of some kind, maybe bats, and I could also hear the little clatter of feet. Mice, or rats, likely the latter, but either way, we weren't alone as far as the local pests were concerned.

 _Get out._ The voice stated, a hushed, cold, dread filled whisper which reached our ears and sent waves of fear down my spine.

I froze just as Samuel did, and we shared a look as a icy breeze hit us in the face. I shook my head, not about to admit he was right. "Probably just a draft going through the pipes." I said, although I instinctively knew I was just in stupid denial again.

"Alex, you're a vampire, and you can't admit there's a ghost hanging around?" Samuel asked, making it clear he was fighting the urge to shoot me again.

"I've _seen_ vampires, so far all I've heard is a cold draft going through this dump." I retorted, making it clear I wasn't about to change my mind about this. I know, I'm stubborn, sue me.

"Well, I thought you would know better by now, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised by your stubbornness." Samuel sighed endearingly, but shrugged off his disbelief all the same. "Let's just continue before the 'cold draft' comes back."

"Har har." I muttered sarcastically as I kept on Samuel's right side while we proceeded deeper into the crumbling hospital. There wasn't a lot to see since as I had stated before, most of the interior walls had disintegrated from neglect and decay, and beyond some scaffolding and reconstruction efforts, there wasn't a great deal to block our vision save for the shadows themselves where Sam's flashlight or my eyes couldn't penetrate. But as shouldn't be surprising at this point, nothing ever goes according to plan. In this case, the beginning of our night trekking through the hospital went sideways when the floor gave out and we were sent into the labyrinthine sub basement level.

"Dont worry, that was just a draft." Came Samuel's voice from behind me, sounding almost disturbingly dry given our situation. A groan escaped him as the dust and debris we had kicked up from our fall started to settle around us. "Ow….at least I landed on my ass….think I broke my ass, but I've had worse."

I had landed on my feet despite how quickly the floor had decided to buckle and fall apart on us, although if you were to ask me how I pulled that off, I couldn't tell you beyond simple instinct. Still, that didn't stop me from giving Samuel an annoyed glare for the 'cold draft' remark. "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad."

"Human remember? Not so good at ignoring falls as you are." He told me with raised eyebrows, like he was telling me something I should already know. Which truth be told I really should have. Given my situation I however did anything but act rationally.

As such, my thoughts were basically centered around 'Samuel, human, hurt' and with that I went into worrying mode. "Oh god, are you hurt? Can you walk? No wait! Don't try, just lie down I'll get you out of here, I promise! Abandoned hospital here has to be something useful…" I trailed off as I frantically looked around for anything I could use.

"Alex I-" Samuel started, but I didn't let him finish.

"No, save your strength. You're probably in shock… I saw that in a movie once. The guy thought he was alright and then 'boom' he collapsed and was dead! Just keep calm. Deep calm breaths." Yeah….not one of my finer moments.

"Hey, everything alright down there?" Sarah's voice asked from above, sounding more than a little confused before she jumped down. She landed just as, if not easier, than I had, but I hardly noticed at the time as I whirled towards her.

"Great, you're here! We have to save Samuel!" I told her frantically.

The elder vampire spared a glance at Samuel, who was watching the proceedings with a bemused expression. "Uh… he seems to be fine."

"How can you tell? Do you have medical training?" I asked, having not put the dots together now that I was in full on freak out mode for one of the few people I cared about these days.

"No, but she looked at me for more than a split second." Samuel stated slowly, a smile pulling at his lips as he got to his feet and dusted himself off. "And as endearing as it is watching you worry over me, it isn't what we came here for."

I finally put two and two together before slapping a hand over my face in abject embarrassment. Sarah's laughter and Samuel's amused smile wasn't helping me in the slightest. "Shut up….you two are so not helping right now." I groaned and hung my head with a huff. Today was just not my day.

"Oh calm down Alex," Sarah chuckled once she had regained her composure, although her red eyes still gleamed with her merriment at my expense. Her hair was still dyed black, but the makeup she had worn to the party was gone. The long black trenchcoat and armor underlayer outfit she had worn at our first meeting had made a comeback however. I took all that in at a glance as Sarah patted me on the shoulder, still chuckling softly. "It's cute, you worrying for your friend like an overprotective mother hen."

"Bite me." I groaned in response before flicking my blue eyes to the new hole in the ceiling. "So, what do we do now?"

Sarah put her hands on her hips and shrugged. "Well, Juliet sent us here for the same thing, we might as well take a look around and see if we can't find whatever that is. And don't mind the ghost, they're more annoying than any real threat."

"There isn't any gh-" No sooner had the words left my mouth did I see a two by four fly off the wall and nearly hit me in the face. Only Samuel pulling me to the side at the last second saved me from having my head bashed in as the piece of wood flew by my right cheek. Samuel raised a gray eyebrow while Sarah crossed her arms, both of them wearing similar expressions. I blew out a relieved if annoyed breath as I looked towards the beam and back to Samuel. "Okay, I'll admit it. There's a ghost hanging around." I grumbled, hating the simple fact I had to admit the existence of what was here.

"Glad to see nearly getting beamed in the face has changed your mind." Samuel stated.

"Har hardy har har." I mock laughed as we started down a narrow corridor that went further into the crumbling basement level. The most I expected we'd find were old boilers and dozens of rusted pipes running through the ceiling and walls, maybe a few utility closets, things like that. But I think a part of me always knew we'd find something else, especially if a ghost was trying to scare us into running away.

"Thank you, I always try my best to make people laugh." He deadpanned in response, face straight and for a moment I wondered if he was serious. Then he shot me a smirk and I knew better, but that should have been obvious from the start. Sarah snorted softly in the back as she trailed behind us, but otherwise kept quiet.

"The first time I met a ghost was… not as pleasant. I got a lot of things thrown right into my face." Sarah told me a little sourly. "By the end of it, I was ready to blow the whole place to pieces. The truth of why there was a ghost at all just made it worse." When I asked, Sarah sighed tiredly. "There was a family, wife, two kids, and a husband. Husband went nuts, killed their kids, and the wife last, I found her diary which explained the whole thing plus a few newspaper clippings. It was the husband that was throwing shit at me at every corner."

To say that this story did nothing to lift my spirits would be a colossal understatement. Not that the other two seemed overly bothered by it. Guess that's what made me the new girl of our little group. "So what about _this_ ghost?" I asked at last as we came to a darkened three way junction, a dead power box on the right hand wall. "What do you think is keeping this one around?"

"Who knows." Sarah mused, but jerked her head to the left, where a woman, floating a foot off the ground, could just be seen in the darkness by us. "But I think we're about to find out." She stated, just as the ghost beckoned us to follow her before floating down the hallway, out of sight.

"If I were to guess… well Juliet sent us here for a reason. So this ghost is probably tied to said reason." Samuel pointed out and cast a glance around. "Provided we are only dealing with one ghost here. Or perhaps the ghost has nothing to do with it."

"Only one way to find out." Sarah replied, and began to push her way to the front before going down the same hallway the ghost had disappeared down. We did our best to keep up, but if Sarah had wanted to leave us behind, I doubt we could have caught her no matter how hard we tried to keep up. Thankfully she only kept just out of reach, but something didn't seem right about this as we soon found ourselves in what I took to be an old fashioned incinerator of some kind. Given the simple fact this place had been created to combat the smallpox outbreak that had gripped the city way back when, it made sense not all of the patients that had been checked in had checked out, and that the staff would have needed a way to dispose of the bodies that were otherwise too riddled with sickness to safely handle otherwise.

"I have a really bad feeling about this." Samuel muttered softly, and looked at me for a moment before sending a glance at Sarah.

"Ditto." Was the elder vampire's reply to that statement. Both of them agreeing on something being bad? Yeah, that's definitely enough for me to start to get really worried.

"Okay, so on a scale from one to fiery death, how bad are we talking about here?"

"Roughly a, 'we are dust in the wind' vibe I'd say." Samuel ever so helpfully replied.

"Just great." I muttered sarcastically, angry at myself for coming here and at Juliet for sending us here in the first place.

"Cheer up kid, it could be worse." Sarah pointed out calmly and looked around for a way out of the room. The way we had come was still open, the door having fallen off its hinges at some point, but the giant incinerator against the far wall loomed like a giant metallic beast, just waiting for someone to wander into its lair before spewing flames in every direction. It had seen better days perhaps, but if this ghost was able to throw beams and split floors apart, who knew what else it was capable of.

"Yeah, how so?" You'd think I would have learned not to ask something so blatantly obvious by now.

"Well we could have been burned by now. Or got a 'nuclear fire' vibe instead." The only male of our little group told me far too cheerfully for my taste.

"I hate it when you do that." I stated flatly, unamused by Samuel's cheer, feigned or otherwise.

And then I saw her.

It was hard not to since the ghost in charge of this rather morbid place had decided to appear right in front of me. Her eyes staring at me like I was a complicated x-ray image for a moment before her dead, cold expression hardened. _You are sick._ Her voice echoed softly in the room as she stared at me accusingly. _This plague cannot spread any further. You must be purged, like all the others._

This is my life now, meet new mysterious people and beings, and get almost killed by them or in this case, most likely killed, because I had no idea how to get out of this one. "Can we talk about this?" I asked, but I wasn't all that surprised by the response the charge nurse gave me.

 _No_. Was the simple reply, which sucked because I would have loved for her to go into some kind of monologue like the bad guys in the movies, which would have given us the time to escape. Instead, the charge nurse, in her dirty white scrubs and her surgical gloves, flung her right arm towards the incinerator. Let me explain what ghosts are capable of, beyond their little temper tantrums that allow them to throw around pieces of debris as they like. Given their connection to the afterlife, they can drag some of that to this plane of existence, so when she flung her arm to the rusty machine in question, her ties to it, and her role in life, allowed her to breathe new life into the hulking monstrosity as purple phantom fire erupted from it soon after. Naturally, myself and Sarah instinctively jumped away the moment the fire started while Samuel ran backward, his gun trained on the ghostly nurse. _You cannot be allowed to leave._

"Sorry, we're checking out lady." Samuel replied, his gray eyes darting about the chamber, for what I didn't know until he shouted out. "We need to find something that ties her to this place! A hairpin, a necklace, something personal she might have kept!"

"On it!" Sarah replied, before she and I were forced to jump to the sides of the chamber when the homicidal ghost threw her hand towards us and a purple fireball sprung up where we'd been standing. Phantom fire might be born in the realm of the dead, but it's still a supernatural element of destruction. It hurts us vampires for that simple reason, and while I didn't know that, I wasn't about to take a chance my suspicions were proven correct.

"Learn to bind and banish a ghost they said, I won't need it I said." Samuel grumbled in annoyance as he shot at the ghost in an attempt to divert its attention.

It flickered its eyes towards him for a moment before addressing him. _Please, sir. I know this must be hard but for the good of the whole your friends will have to burn!_ She said with a serene smile on her gaunt, hollow face, which sent shivers down my spine. _You are not infected yet, though I would advise you to stay until we are sure you haven't been infected._

"Wait, we?" Samuel and I asked at the same time, and I groaned when two more ghosts appeared behind the nurse in question. "Oh hell no." I growled as her two burly bodyguards started for me first, no doubt thinking I'd be the easier to handle. They were right, but I wasn't about to tell them that.

"We're not infected! We're not even human!" Sarah screamed at her in anger from the other side of the chamber, having somehow gotten behind the three ghosts. There was an office space back there, but I was in no position to take advantage of it as Sarah rushed into the room. I could just make out a name plate beside the door, but I had no way to see more than that as I was forced to jump away from the two ghosts the nurse had summoned to aid her.

 _Then you're an even greater risk. We must cleanse this whole place immediately._ The ghost replied and looked at us like we were nothing more than bacteria to be extinguished. And in a way, she wasn't wrong, but I wanted to keep living, or what passed for living for us anyway. She locked her eyes on me, her iris the same color as the flames glimmering in the incinerator. _Detain the other one. I will purge this one._ The two male ghosts nodded before turning to go after Sarah who had long since disappeared into the office, the sound of drawers being tossed around following in her wake.

"Sarah!" I called out, only to flinch away when the nurse raised a wall of purple flames in front of me, keeping me and Samuel from assisting the Brujah.

"I know! I'm hurrying!" She shouted back. A triumphant shout followed soon after, just as the two ghosts in their matching scrubs and face masks, walked through the office wall, but Sarah was prepared as she came bursting out of the office the only way she knew how. By punching her way through the wall itself just as the two ghosts had phased through it in an effort to grab her first. In the Brujah's hand was a small hand mirror. The head nurse took one look at the bronze mirror and took a step away, only confirming Sarah's suspicions. "I thought as much. This was yours pyro? Well now, I guess we have the upper hand here. Samuel, go long!" Samuel wasted no time in running the rest of the way of the chamber just as Sarah drew her hand back and threw the object to him, well past the three ghosts and me.

"Got it!" He shouted, before he had to duck when a torrent of flames was sent his way. "Uh, and now?"

"Shove it in her face? I don't know, the last one stopped once I had the necklace!" Sarah shouted back as she got beaten back through the hole she made by the chief psycho's assistants. "Therese Voerman had someone ready to do some ritual to banish the ghosts for good!" Then a light bulb went off for her as she slipped between the two and slid under a third torrent of purple flames when they were thrown her way. "They can't leave the place they died at! Shit, we need to leave!"

"Finally! Let's go!" Samuel shouted just as I got to his side.

 _No one leaves!_ The nurse shouted and sent purple flames everywhere she could see. Thankfully, we had long since fled the incinerator room. Getting to the hole and out of the basement wasn't so easy, especially with three mad ghosts on our tail, one of which was quite literally flaming mad, but we managed as Sarah and I jumped upward only to turn around to assist Samuel.

But as soon as we had knelt down and reached out to grab him and pull him up, he surprised me at least when Samuel launched himself upward and ran partially up part of the wall before coming to a stop behind us. "Society of Leopold remember?" He stated, oozing nonchalance as he straightened his suit before beckoning us to the exit. "Still got Nurse Ratchet and her sidekicks remember?"

 _Burn!_ Said ghost hissed at us and said another wave of flames our way through the hole we just climbed through. The torrent of flames was intense enough to melt, _melt_!, the concrete and plaster, only encouraging us to run faster out of the hospital doors and far into the parking lot. Thankfully Samuel had had the foresight to park on the other side of the street that faced the hospital, because I don't think I would have stopped at his van otherwise. As it was, when we finally did stop, the hospital and its cadre of psychotic ghosts far at our backs, I slid down the side of Samuel's van and panted and wheezed, exhausted but giddy by our escape just as Sarah and Samuel caught up with me at a far more relaxed pace. "You...two….so suck….you know that?"

Sarah chuckled but shrugged off my comment. "You get used to the excitement after a while."

"Why exactly are you breathing so hard? You don't need oxygen anymore, remember." Samuel pointed out calm as if we didn't just escape a pyromaniac ghost, barely. "So stop those huge gulps of air, they're making you look fat."

That made me stop at once. I was suddenly too focused on glaring at him for his remark and Sarah's barely controlled laughter. "Did you really just go there?"

"Yep." Samuel replied all too cheerfully to the ominous tone in my voice.

"Have I told you I hated you yet today?" I asked, not at all amused by Sarah's barely controlled giggles as I pushed myself off the ground.

"No, but the night's still young." He shot back with a shit eating grin. "So I'm certain that you'll be able to fit in said remark into your busy schedule."

"Ugh." I grumbled before turning my gaze on Sarah and the bronze hand mirror she had found, that had made Nurse Ratchet stop and pause for a split second. "I really hope all this was worth the headache."

"Something tells me it will be kid. You'd be surprised how one little item can lead to unexpected results." I had no idea she was referring to the little revelation that Therese and Jeanette Voerman had been one and the same person, and she had only found out after bringing back the necklace belonging to the murdered wife. That aside though, I couldn't help but wonder what Sarah was expecting to happen once we met up with Juliet again. As Samuel had said, the night was still young, so who knew what would happen next. I hoped that there wouldn't be any more unpleasant surprises though.

 **End Notes:** _**Vergil1989:**_ _Lol well that happened. We made a brief mention of a ghost a few chapters back, but it seemed appropriate to finally get into the thick of it. Hope you enjoyed!_

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Well I for one couldn't resist the chance to put our own little ghost mission into this one. However I will freely admit that it was Vergil's idea to begin with and that our little ghost should be a little pyromaniac. I think we did rather well to be honest. Never wrote a crazed ghost before._

 _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Well, it was either that or we went with a werewolf, I figured that'd be overkill though lol. Joking aside, I was pretty happy with our ghost, and don't worry, when they meet Juliet, she'll tell them more about Nurse Ratchet the Pyromaniac. As for the feeding bit at the beginning of this chapter, or near enough anyway, I'm still kinda feeling a bit bleh about it despite a couple of rewrites, but overall I'm happy with it. Catherine got to show off how much of a manipulative bitch she can be, but at the same time, she saved Alex a lot of heartache and trouble in the long run, so in some ways she did her a favor. What do you guys think though? Anyway, take care folks!_


	8. Malkavian Dinner Date

**Chapter 8: Malkavian Dinner Date**

I idly wondered if we reeked of smoke and fire when we arrived at Juliet's house. While by no means cheap, it wasn't nearly as extravagant as Catherine's rooftop manor. That and it wasn't on top of a giant skyscraper, her home being located in one of the more residential areas of New York. Still, it was by no means small, and it looked almost mundane despite the Malkavian's….unique personality. A metal fence surrounded the perimeter of the old brick house, giving it a slightly creepy vibe, like the setting of an older horror movie. That said, the garden was well kept and the facade seemed oddly welcoming for the set of a horror movie knockoff. On the other hand, the Cabin In the Woods had started out pretty mundane too, until the zombie torture family had been let out of their cages to hunt down the sacrificial victims during that rather comedic approach to all those wonderful horror movie tropes we've come to accept as the norm.

"Well, let's hope that we aren't interrupting a surprise Primogen meeting or something like that, given our friend." Samuel said dryly and sent an amused glance in Sarah's direction. For once, the Brujah looked uncharastically tense, and we both noticed as we started for the front door, the gate opening the moment we approached. "What's up?"

"Just bad memories. Last Malk Primogen house I visited ended up with vampire hunters torching the place. Of course, that was after I found the Malkavian staked in his own bed." Sarah explained after making us wait a few seconds for her reply.

"Ask a silly question, get a silly answer." Samuel deadpanned, even as he sent a comforting glance towards the powerful woman. "I doubt history will repeat itself. I made sure that she had top of the line security systems installed… and that she wasn't able to mess with them."

" _Really_? Did they hire you to do that? For every Primogen?" Sarah asked curiously and sent me a glance as if to ask if I knew about this. When I shrugged and shook my head since this was news to me too, Sarah chuckled humorlessly. "Great."

"No. I did it for my own reasons, only for her. She… has always been kind to me." He said slowly, as if carefully weighing each word that he spoke.

"Now I'm even more curious Sammy, but we're burning moonlight." Sarah said before taking point this time. "That said, if your security system decides to take shots at us, I'm throwing you to the wolves."

"Yes ma'am." Samuel chuckled and threw Sarah a lopsided salute while he was at it. The Brujah rolled her red eyes and shook her head before reaching out for the door handle, only for Samuel to grab her hand before it could touch the knob. When she glanced at him over her shoulder, he pointed to the metal brass handle, that upon closer inspection, was throwing out little bolts of electricity. "Told you, I took steps to keep my friend safe."

"Electrified door knobs? That's a bit much." I stated, in shocked awe at just how far Samuel had gone to keep Juliet safe. She must have been really important to have gone to such lengths.

"Oh that's nothing." He assured me before producing a key from his suit pocket. "You should see what I rigged up for her panic room." He said before producing a rubber glove and slipping it over his right hand. From there he stuck the key into the keyhole and unlocked the front door, deactivating the electrified lock while he was at it. For a security measure, it was rather simple yet also ingenious since no one normally carried rubber gloves around.

"I said it before and I will say it again, there are therapists who can help you, here in New York." I told him seriously, because no one could tell me that this level of protectiveness was normal.

Having gotten the door opened, Samuel shrugged before putting both his key and his glove away into his suit's pockets. "Yeah, but there are also a lot of people who would love to see her dead, here in New York. So it's better to be safe than sorry." I found I couldn't argue with that logic and sighed while Sarah only raised her black eyebrows in response to the banter between us. Samuel pushed the door open the rest of the way and immediately went to the left side of the door, where a rather well put together makeshift powerbox sat that had been supplying the juice to the front door. "Here we are." He grinned as he quickly opened up the panel and went about deactivating the electricity running to the door. "There, we should be able to leave in a hurry if we have to." He said once it was done, and glanced to Sarah for emphasis. She simply nodded appreciatively at the gesture.

"Uh, she does know we're coming right? I mean we aren't simply marching in?" I questioned both of them slightly uncomfortable by the thought of marching into the Primogen's house and demanding answers.

"Oh, I'm certain she knows. Always seemed to, one way or another." Samuel replied innocently and gave me a small smile. "She won't mind, I promise."

"No I won't." I yelped and spun around on my heel, only to see Juliet smiling from a second floor railing. "Hello." She greeted us pleasantly before her brown eyes, darting from my face to Sarah's, finally settled on Samuel's. "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy. So good to see you again."

"Hey Jules. Looking good and crazy as always." Juliet giggled cutely at the greeting while Samuel just grinned up at the Malkavian redhead.

"Aww, you say the nicest things little Sammy." The Primogen said, still giggling as she ran down the stairs only to softly embrace the man before whispering something that I could only hear due to my enhanced hearing. "Your radiant maiden smiles at you, like always. She is happy."

"That's good to hear, it truly is." He replied just as softly and with a hint of sadness deeply hidden in his voice. Before I could begin to ask what this was about, Samuel cleared his throat and gently broke away from Juliet's embrace. The Malkavian accepted it in stride and cocked her head to the side. "I hate to bug ya Jules, but you sent us to such a nice place that we just had to come and bring you news of the trip."

"Sarcastic Sammy is sarcastic, but it's part of your charm." Juliet giggled again before holding out her hand to Sarah. How she knew Samuel had the mirror in his possession rather than me or Sarah, I didn't know, but after the few conversations I had had with the Malkavian, and what I had been told about them, it wasn't that surprising as Samuel handed the bronzed hand mirror to Juliet. "I'm glad the dead did not give you too much trouble. Her story is sad, and as old as mine. She deserves peaceful oblivion despite her madness in life that carried over into her death."

"She couldn't bear to see all those deceased patients burn." I said in realisation, how I knew I had no idea, but my instincts told me that I was on the right track.

"In a way, you're right." Juliet agreed as she made the mirror disappear into her pajama bottoms, having come down in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. She had likely been relaxing, having an easy night before we popped up, but she seemed happy to have visitors even if she didn't look in the mood to entertain company. "It is safer to say it got to the point that the poor soul became lost to the flames. So, she took charge of the furnace, and did what she deemed necessary to protect the rest of the city."

"Oh." I replied dumbly as Juliet's words sunk in. It was indeed a sad story.

"She went too far, but she did it for the right reasons." Sarah intoned gravely.

"It's easy to become the very evil you seek to destroy if you aren't careful." Samuel intoned gravely, making me look at him in surprise since I had never heard him use that tone before. Juliet though looked at him with unusually focused eyes and softly went to caress his cheek.

"No worries Sammy. The past is the past. It can't hurt you anymore." She told him softly, a small smile on her lips. "Not unless you allow it to." Sam nodded gratefully just as Juliet turned to face myself and Sarah. "You're wondering why I wanted her put to rest. That's simple, beyond her sad tale. Juliet knew her before Juliet was Embraced." Talking about herself in the third person aside, Juliet beckoned us to follow her to another part of her strangely mundane home. I don't know what I had expected to see honestly inside the home of a Malkavian, crazy as they are, but what I had seen so far didn't strike me as unusually creepy or crazy in the slightest.

The walls were wood paneled, the parts that weren't covered in light blue paint. The floors were also wood if not covered by plush, comfortable carpets. Tables held personal items of various size, from potted flowers to little animal figurines. One such table beneath a UV resistant window was covered in a diorama of a woodland scene of some sort, full of little hand painted trees and mountains, the 'land' itself covered with assorted creatures. It was cute, and highly detailed, but nothing that really stood out to me however. On the wall across from the window hung a picture that was pure black save for the centre, where I could see a pale woman, kneeling and in apparent pain, chained by invisible restraints. I couldn't make out any details, but I felt like I knew who it was even though there was nothing visible to identify her, as if the painter had forgotten to include the woman's face. While a little odd, it still didn't strike me as belonging to the crazy Malkavian.

Until I saw the rest of the paintings when we came upon a sitting room. Samuel didn't react to the strange pictures, all of them done with exacting, vivid detail, while myself and Sarah could only stare at the collection. "I see, that is my curse, so I make sure others can see them too." Juliet explained without having to glance at our dumbfounded expressions. For all her talk of having dealt with Malkavians before, it seemed Sarah hadn't been to too many of their homes except for whoever had been staked and burned back in LA.

"When did you see this?" Samuel asked from the side, staring at a picture that hung above the fireplace. It depicted a flaming warehouse, strangely black burned skeletons strewn around and in the centre of all the chaos stood a group of what appeared to be medieval knights, except the knights I were familiar with weren't eight feet tall and had LED lights on various parts of their armor. Clad in shimmering white armor and multiple golden crucifixes placed upon the metal, they wielded what appeared to be heavy weaponry as well as glimmering swords. "Was it a vision? You told me that you would call me. You're always in so much pain when…" He stopped himself and looked at the Primogen worriedly.

"It is fine. Sammy trusts fiery Brujah with the red eyes and Eliza's gift to us all. They can know of Juliet's pain."

"I do… but why didn't you tell me? I would have taken care of you. I promised you after all." Samuel asked, sounding a bit hurt if I were to judge.

"I knew you would come." Juliet offered in explanation and smiled as she put a hand on his shoulder. "A few ghosts from Juliet's past could not stop you or those that follow you. So I waited for you to return, for we have much to discuss."

"So, vampire hunters with new toys I take it?" Sarah asked as she crossed her arms and nodded to the picture in question before flicking her red eyes on Juliet. "And given our boy Sammy was Society of Leopold…"

"Yes, they are, or were, his old companions, but their views, were not his." Juliet replied, her tone gentle and comforting for Samuel's sake, not that I could blame her given the very uncomfortable gleam in his gray eyes.

"It's a long story." Samuel said lowly after a short pause. "That said, I really hope that for once, your vision is wrong… or that they have changed."

"As do I. As do I." Juliet said softly, looking at the human man with worry clear in her slightly crazed eyes. "But I think they can… you told me that not all of them are zealots. Remember?"

"Always." He replied softly, his eyes staring at something only he could see, something that was years away. Shaking it off, he sighed, ran a hand down his face, and flopped down on the couch that faced the fireplace, and the armored knights that looked like a cross between their ancient counterparts and powered armored units out of Fallout 4. "So, ghost girl and her two friends were people you knew. Why take care of the problem now Jules?"

"Because it relates to what's happening now." Juliet replied as she took a seat across from Samuel while myself and Sarah sat down on either side of the former vampire hunter, and I use the term very loosely in his case given the hints I've heard of his lackluster loyalties to his comrades. "What do you know of plaguebearers?" She asked, and somehow I wasn't surprised Sarah chimed in.

"I ran into a cult of those freaks back in LA. Nice people, once you get past the whole doom and death thing they loved to force on everyone, kine and Kindred alike."

"So basically a group of idiots that thought that the world was coming to an end and to prove their point they tried to spread a plague?" Samuel asked dryly and rolled his gray eyes. "Just great, I always wanted to meet those kind of fucking idiots."

"Language." Juliet admonished him with a waggle of her finger. "Or you won't get any chocolate cake."

"The cake's a lie Jules." He teased, but muttered an apology anyway.

Juliet giggled in response before continuing her tale. "The plaguebearers I refer to were dealt with, but not before they had spread their pox of smalls across most of New York. I was admitted to the hospital for something else, but even then I knew something was wrong, something didn't add up for the number of people that were sick. My 'sight' was not developed as it is now however, but it called my Sire to my bedside before I could expire. Afterwards, I knew the truth, and I helped hunt the plaguebearers down. _That_ was my trial."

"Really? You never mentioned that before Jules." Samuel replied, impressed by the admission as he leaned forward a little on the couch. "There's more to this story though, isn't there?"

"Yes Sammy." She told him with a small smile. "I was not alone, the prince of lies was also sent to hunt. Hunt he did, many killed, few guilty, many innocent, didn't care. Threats, he deemed them, he and his mirror."

"The prince of lies? Isn't that one of the titles of the devil?" I asked and couldn't help but think of Lucifer for a moment. But something about the way Juliet said 'he and his mirror' made me wonder if I was on the wrong track.

"Perhaps, but I never heard him lie so I wouldn't know." Juliet told me happily, which didn't make much sense to me since just because I'd never heard someone lie didn't mean that they didn't. "Only one lying prince in New York, always smiling, always plotting, always hiding. But one is not the same as the other, for one has made a deal with something better left alone. A deal that has become something more."

"And this is why I hate dealing with Malkavians." Sarah grumbled, but held up a hand before Juliet could protest or defend herself. "Sorry, I know it's not your fault Juliet, but would it kill you guys to talk plainly, just once?"

"Would if I could." The Malkavian replied sadly, understanding all too keenly why Sarah was annoyed with her.

"She is talking about Charles, at least partly." Samuel told the Brujah with a sour face. "As for the other… whoever it is, is clearly connected to him somehow. Hiding in plain sight."

"Yeah, figured that, but who's the third party in this?" Sarah asked impatiently, giving way to her more combative nature. That's part of the problem with being a Brujah, they're always looking for a fight.

"Well… I have an idea how to figure that out." Samuel said evasively and looked me in the eye. "If you're certain that this is what you want. Once we do this, there's no turning back."

"You know the answer already Sammy." Juliet stated, but she waited for me to answer for myself, as did Sarah.

I didn't disappoint since my decision had been made long ago, I just didn't know it at the time until that moment. We were close to something, I could feel it, and I couldn't leave it alone, not now. Especially if it uncovered the truth of who had killed Eliza, but more importantly, something about all this felt….off for some reason. And now Juliet had just pointed the finger to Charles and someone he was working with. So no, I didn't have to think about my answer. "I can't back down now Samuel. Yeah, what happened to those people working for the King Douche was bad, maybe even avoidable, but I can't stop now. Not now that we're so close to the truth."

He looked at me for a long moment, seemingly gauging how convinced I was of this whole thing before he nodded once. "Alright, but two things. First, dont say I didnt warn you. Second, promise that you won't lose yourself to this, for it may appear close now but it could be further away than you think possible. Don't make this your sole reason for existing."

Even without Auspex, I think I would have understood exactly what Samuel was asking me, how important this was to him that I not be consumed by my need to find answers and to avenge Eliza. As it were, I nodded solemnly in agreement, not about to sully the moment by trying to find the words that would end up being hollow most likely if said aloud. He accepted the gesture and nodded in turn, but I had to wonder if he believed me.

"Alright, then there are two things we must do. First, we must strike at a Sabbat stronghold and sabotage their emergency generators, afterwards we have to make sure to somehow cut the energy for the whole district. Then we can attack Charles's little fortress."

"Uh, not to question you, but what the hell have the Sabbat to do with Charles?" Sarah questioned incredulously, not that I could blame her after our run in with those shovelheads in the park. "He's Camarilla, those guys hate each other more than anything."

"Really? Have you heard of any Sabbat raids happening in New York in the last decade?" Samuel asked, and much to my surprise, Sarah could only blink her eyes since she couldn't come up with an answer. "I thought not. But it's more than that, think about it, they have a group of warehouses for what do they need those emergency generators? Answer, they don't. They are tied to Charles' home. I mean, who would suspect that?"

"How the hell do you know about this?" I blurted out, surprised by his knowledge. I shouldn't have been though.

"Tim helped me with some things, other things I found out myself. I've been here longer than either of you, remember?" As I said, I shouldn't have been surprised by his knowledge. "Thing is we have to prepare the blackout for the district first. To do that, we have to strike the warehouse hard and fast, because Charles will otherwise notice pretty fast that something is wrong. We basically have to make sure that both blackouts happen nearly simultaneously. Then you and Sarah can walk in through the front door while I give you cover fire with my sniper rifle."

"Hold it hotshot." Sarah butted in and gestured to me on the other side of the house. "I've already proven myself capable in a fight, but if this ends up how I think it'll turn out, then we don't want to fuck around with the raid until she's brought up to speed. Meaning…" She trailed off, and Samuel nodded, having caught on her line of thought.

"Meaning we'll have to train her to stand up for herself." He replied, and chuckled sheepishly for having gotten ahead of himself. "She's right Alex. We can't do any of this until you can take care of yourself. So far you've been lucky, although you haven't really gotten into any real trouble either."

"I know I'm not a fighter!" I shot back hotly. I knew it was the truth, but it still hurt to hear it so bluntly, that I was the reason why we couldn't act yet.

"Indeed, you are not. But it's you, and you alone who decides when we act." Samuel told me and before his eyes seemed to grow suddenly colder than the arctic. "That said, when we do act, we will do it fast, we will do it hard. There will be no mercy, no remorse, no fear."

"Okay….now you're starting to scare me."

"Good, it means you won't take this lightly, Alex." Samuel countered, before sighing and looking away only to look up into Juliet's face. She had been unusually quiet this whole time. "You're being awfully stoic for once Jules."

Ignoring him for a moment, Juliet leveled her eyes on me next. "Sammy is right to worry for you, little rose. The prince is strong, stronger than he appears, and his allies are many. This will not have a happy ending no matter how well you prepare." Samuel raised his gray eyebrows at that but he didn't get to ask as Juliet turned to him next. "I cannot say beyond that, but it is more a feeling than anything Sammy. I fear this will bring you no happiness."

"Few things have." He told her quietly, and softly embraced her once he had stood and closed the distance between them. "But you always have. I'll make sure that if anything goes south, they can't connect it to you. You'll be safe, I promise." Juliet cooed softly into the crook of Samuel's shoulder and smiled before they pulled apart and the Malkavian had sat down once more. Samuel sighed before turning to Sarah and me again. "Sorry for scaring you Alex, but the way it is is the way it is, and you heard it from Jules herself. It's not too late to back out."

"Save your breath kid, you already know she won't." Sarah butted in as she started for the door, before stopping mid stride and turning to face Juliet. "Thanks, for your help Juliet."

"You're always welcome here, red eyes. Grouchy Grout might have been crazy even by our standards, but he was still Malkavian. Your avenging his death was well received by the Network between the rest of us. Even the Janus sisters, the Voermans, were thankful, although they did not say so."

"Do they ever?" Sarah asked, chuckling despite her earlier darkening mood.

"Not in my lifetime." Juliet replied with a light giggle. "Now, hop hop. You got things to do. Make more pretty explosions."

"I wouldn't pass up the chance to do that and more." Sarah reassured her, and grinned over one black, armored shoulder before she left the Malkavian's home.

Samuel chuckled and rubbed the back of his head as he beckoned me outside while he reset Juliet's security. "Thanks again Jules. Always a pleasure. Just don't forget to have someone take care of your ghost problem."

"Won't Sammy." She promised him cheerfully. "Visit me sometime, rascal."

"You know I will. Perhaps we could visit the park again. I recall you liked watching the stars there."

Juliet's eyes lit up with almost childlike excitement. "Aww, you mean it? You are such a good boy, Sammy. Promise you take care."

"I promise." He told her seriously and nodded at her for good measure. "Really, but you know me." He said on his way out the door, just ahead of the reactivation of the Malkavian's security on her front door. The last I saw of Juliet was her nodding her head cheerfully before dancing her way back upstairs. Samuel took one look at the warm, endearing smile on my face and blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "She might be crazy but as I think I've said already, she's a dear friend of mine."

"I think it's nice, that you have such a close bond with her Sam." Sarah said and nodded approvingly from her spot by the front gate, her arms crossed and her hip touching the metal bars. "It does make me wonder just how long you've known her though."

"Longer than you might think, and perhaps not as long as you might guess." Was all he'd say on the matter as he started to head back to the van with us soon following close behind him.

Great, now he gave us a cryptic answer. What's next? Fortune cookie riddles? Seeing that I had no other choice, I resorted to my most devastating weapon I could bring to bear. One that no man had managed to resist before. I pouted at him and made it look like I was about to cry. "Don't you trust me?" I asked, making sure to make my voice quiver with faked emotions. "I thought we were friends!"

"Wow, you really want to know. Don't you?" He asked in reply, seemingly more amused than anything. "Well in that case… too bad."

I groaned and hung my head when he refused to rise to my challenge. "Damn it, I thought that would work."

"You overdid it." He deadpanned, before he chuckled and shook his head as we piled into his van. "Okay… where to now? I guess that operation 'train the clumsy duckling' is a go, right?"

"I need to make a stop first." Sarah told him. "And chances are you'll thank me later kid. Think we can swing by a club first?"

"Ah, gotcha." Samuel said, catching on immediately to what Sarah was after while it took me a moment to figure out what was going on.

"A club? Do we really-...oh. Wait, really? When was the last time you….you know." I couldn't bring myself to say it, not after the last time I'd almost….yeah, you get the idea.

Sarah however wasn't so hesitant and used the opportunity to tease me a bit. "Since I had sex? Well, now that you mention it, there is a itch that could use some scratching." She replied, and raised both eyebrows in a none too subtle hint.

"No!" I shouted scandalized. I was no prude, but I also wasn't used to things like that being thrown around so casually. Repressive upbringing if you recall.

"Huh, and here I thought you were offering." Was her amused reply which caused me to go beet red and Samuel to shake with repressed laughter. "Pity, what about you Sammy boy? I wonder how much stamina you have, Society of Leopold and all that. Though I doubt they taught you to hunt a vampire like that."

"You might be surprised." He chuckled in response, apparently all too happy to carry on the conversation despite my mortified expression. "They might be religious nuts by and large, but some of my teachers understood the need for us to blend into any setting, clubs included. So if we were taken home for a little 'one on one', well, all the better for us."

"Stop." I whimpered softly, most certainly not in the mood to hear Samuel doing _that_ , ever.

Sarah however roared with laughter and slapped her knee in delight. "Oh, that is just too good. And here I thought they all were just violent monks."

"Some are, depends on your faction, or cell I suppose you could call it. Some are pretty tame. Others utterly fanatical. I met more than a few who were only willing to hunt vampires that had killed, instead of killing all of them for being what they are. As you can imagine, such diversity caused its fair share of tensions within the society. There are some branches who can't even get close to each other without resorting to violence." He explained patiently, in full lecture mode. For once I was grateful for it because it meant that my mortification levels could go back to normal now. "As for my stamina, well, we might have to try and find out if I could keep up with you Brujah." And then they shot right back into the red.

Sarah once more laughed and shook as she wrapped her arms around her stomach while I buried my head between my knees. "You are so terrible." I groaned, my voice muffled, but it did nothing to stop either of my so called friends from hearing me.

"Think of it as part of your training. To help you ignore distractions." Samuel supplied ever so helpfully, smug grin never leaving his face.

"Right, whatever you say you sick, sick man. God you are such a guy." I grouched right back, but he only grinned and shook his head at my attempt to shame him by going after his gender like a typical woman.

"Right, because you haven't stared longingly at your preferred 'dance partners' before." Sarah was quick to point out. "You don't need a dick to be a dick."

"Indeed, you have the most profound ways to describe things my dear." Samuel drawled amused, eyes glinting with an emotion I wasn't able to identify. Sarah noticed though and if she'd been able to blush, I think she might have as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat directly behind mine.

'A-anyway, we there yet? I need a drink before we kick Alex around, and I think she'd prefer one herself before we do anything else tonight. Almost being barbecued sure works up an appetite, trust me I know."

"Keep your pants on, or don't, I'm cool either way Sarah." God, horny Samuel could not be a worse person to be around, yet Sarah seemed to love the badly disguised pick up lines and innuendos.

"Well, don't you worry pretty boy. Kicking ass always 'excites' me." And now there was a horny Sarah too, could someone please shoot me now? Like seriously, right now? They were talking about kicking my ass, and then going somewhere else to do the horizontal tango.

"Please… just let me go home. Get it out of your system befo-"

"Nah ah ah." Sarah chided me with a playful waggle of her finger. "We have to get you into shape, so we start tonight. No excuses."

Fuck my life, unlife, whatever. Fortune must really hate me, or she is just a bitch, who knows? Part of me thought it was a good idea to start the training as soon as possible, the far larger part though was busy dying of embarrassment and mortification. Good thing I was already dead, so to speak, otherwise I might have very well passed away right then and there. On the other hand, the conversation, while largely embarrassing, for me anyway, was vastly preferred to the doom and gloom from earlier, and it made me happy to see Samuel smiling and having a good time. He deserved it, after dealing with me and my issues for the past few days, let alone whatever he'd dealt with before I had come into his life.

The rest of the ride to the nearest club, which turned out to be more of a rave hall than a club per say, was less embarrassing overall but no less cheerful. And while a part of me dreaded having to go inside and feed from someone again, which was exactly what Sarah was wanting me to do since she had already made it a point to kick my box of half blood bags underneath her chair that Sam had picked up from the hospital a couple nights back,

"Go easy on her." Samuel requested softly and placed a warm hand on my shoulder. "Catherine tricked her into drinking blood just yesterday night… she wasn't ready for the experience. If she doesn't wish to-"

"No, it's alright." I said quietly and smiled at him in thanks. As much as I didn't like the idea, Sarah was right in forcing the issue. "I know you want to help me and I am grateful, but I have to start sooner or later. Better with you two watching my back."

"Okay." He nodded his agreement, still I was glad to see that he was still taking care of me, despite his 'mood'. "Well, let's go then while the night's still young folks."

Let me go on record in saying that there's a distinct difference between your average dance club, which can be divided into several variations depending on the kind of dancing that usually takes place, and a rave. For one, most dance clubs, like the bar I worked at, cater to a specific type of music and a certain kind of clientele. In my case, the music usually ranged from heavy metal to your hip hop, rap, things like that, whatever was popular at the time, but it was never overpowering to the point that you couldn't carry a conversation with the guy next to you. As such, the people that frequented the club I used to work at were equally diverse, but they often times didn't go there to dance since there was a bar, and what do people do at bars? They drink their worries away, or meet up with friends and watch the game. Essentially they relax is what I'm getting at, but like art, everyone has their preferred method of relaxation.

A rave however, is a different kind of animal all its own. You don't go to a rave to relax, or to unwind from a long day. You go to a rave for only one reason, and that's to party until the sun comes up. Some raves, underground raves mostly, skirt the line of legality because it's entirely common, too common, to see drugs be passed around, alcohol tends to flows freely, and more than a handful of people can always be seen engaged in passionate embraces in the dark. This would be my first rave, mind you, so I had no idea what I was walking into, and I hesitated, wondering if I should dare to immerse myself within the crowd as we passed by the front door with only a passing glance by the bouncers stationed on either side. Being a Toreador apparently helped because I could feel their eyes on my perfectly shaped ass until we were sucked into the writhing, undulating dancers in front of us.

"So uncivilized." Samuel scoffed softly with a shake of his head.

"Wait until later. I'll show you just how uncivilized I can be." Sarah commented in reply a raunchy smile on her face. Fuck that, I was out. Into the crowd! Onward!

Long before we had gotten pulled into the crowd of hedonistic revelers, I could smell the sweat, sex, and blood brought to a fever pitch. Being in the eye of the storm didn't offer any solace however, if anything the high emotions and feverous way everyone seemed to have gotten lost to the rhythm, almost primal sounds of the music only made it harder to ignore. I could probably grab someone and start drinking and the rest of the crowd would cheer me on. Not that I was about to test that, the Masquerade notwithstanding. Besides, I could see more than a few people had their cellphones out, recording their friends dancing or otherwise engaging in activities generally accepted at parties like this. Knowing my luck, I'd wind up on Youtube before the night was over, and then I'd have someone trying to take my head off the very next day, if not sooner, if I tried anything right there on the dance floor that was even remotely supernatural.

Anyway, I wasn't here to dance, I was here to find a suitable… I didn't know what to call them without sounding degrading. The people here were certainly not my friends or partners, calling them cattle or food source would just lead me to hate myself. Anyway, I was here to find a suitable volunteer for tonight. Volunteer...right, because that sounded better how exactly?

Forcing my way through the crowd a ways, inevitably heading closer to the DJ's booth and the giant speakers that almost reached the ceiling of the hall, I was stopped when someone got right up in my face. I tried to step to the side, only for the guy, greased up mohawk and lip piercing doing nothing good for his appearance, to get in my way. "I thought I knew all the New York vampires." He yelled over the music, but even with him right in my face, I could only just make out what he was saying.

"What? I can't hear you!" I 'shouted', hoping that this obviously crazy guy would just leave me alone. I mean who in their right mind would walk up to someone and ask if they were a vampire? Answer? Ghouls would, and do, often and loudly.

"Oh come on, don't be like that." He yelled back slowly, moving his hand to touch my shoulder. "Bet you are as cold a- Argh!"

Samuel had stepped in and twisted his wrist to the side, none too gently and brought the leering idiot to his knees. "No, touching." As if that wasn't enough, Sarah took that as her cue to grab grease monkey by the back of his shirt and drag him to his feet before slamming her forehead into his face. He hit the concrete like a sack of potatoes, out cold long before he hit the ground. Samuel dusted his hands off before shooting Sarah an approving grin before turning to face me. "Ghouls." Was his simple explanation. He shrugged as if to say, 'what can you do?'. The grin on his face died however, when the ghoul's owner decided to slap a beefy hand on his shoulder. "Crap."

I looked up, and up, to stare into the face of one of the biggest, tallest men I'd ever laid eyes on. He stood a head taller than most of the people around us, and he was just as wide. "You. Follow me, and bring that moron with you." He growled, and nodded to the unconscious kid at our feet before turning around to push his way through the crowd. They parted like the Red Sea, not about to get in the giant's way lest they get stepped on.

We looked at each other for a moment before Samuel and Sarah adopted the 'we play along for now, but stay on guard' look. The elder vampire grabbed the unconscious ghoul by the arm and dragged him behind her. It didn't take us long to reach the man's office, and while I grimaced slightly as Sarah dragged the ghoul up the short flight of stairs, ensuring his head hit every step on our way up, I was also annoyed just enough I didn't ask her to take mercy on the moron. He had come up to me after all and blurted out I was a vampire, that was just plain stupid in my opinion, although why I felt so offended I couldn't tell you for sure. Whatever the case, once we were safely behind closed doors, we were soon facing the giant behind an equally impressively sized metal desk. The man himself, stern faced and glaring at us equally, waited until his ghoul was tossed unceremoniously on a nearby couch before breaking into a broad grin that took some of the edge off. "Sarah the Brujah fledgling from Santa Monica, I never thought I'd see you in the flesh." The giant chuckled and held out a massive hand to our black haired friend who hesitated briefly before grasping the offered limb, a grin spreading over her face as she did.

"I like to make an impression." She stated evenly, but the gleam in her red eyes and the feral grin on her face made me very uncomfortable.

"Hah! She is funny! I like you already!" The man however, russian if I were to take a guess by his accent, laughed as he let go of Sarah's hand. The fact his hand completely dwarfed her own didn't seem to bother Sarah in the slightest. If it'd been me, I think I'd have been pissing myself. Green eyes sunk in a broad, circular face, the giant was well muscled, and well dressed despite his brutish appearance. Suit, tie, dress pants, the whole nine yards, yet he gave off a more...friendly, welcoming vibe than Charles, but there was something hidden behind his face that still made me feel like I was staring into the eyes of a wolf, or a bear in this case.

"Wait, we don't have to fight our way out of this?" Samuel asked, a little incredulously. "That's new and certainly unexpected… am I the only one who is also a little bit disappointed?"

"You wouldn't be if you knew who he represented." Sarah stated before spouting off something in perfect Russian. "Eh comrade?" She finished in English, earning a pleasantly surprised glance from the man in front of us.

"Aye, you did us favor by removing Boris from our organization." The giant replied, answering whatever question Sarah had asked in his native language.

"Oh fuck me, you're russian Mafia?" Samuel asked while I immediately started to think of every gangster movie I've ever seen. Most of the time, such meetings like this had a tendency to end badly for at least one person. So naturally my overactive imagination conjured up images of us ending up floating down the river.

"That I am, but we are not upset with mutual friend here, if anything we owe her favor for removing pigheaded drunkard Boris who gave us bad name in Los Angeles. He did not honor his deals, so we had been prepared to deal with him, but lo and behold, someone beat us to it." The nod towards Sarah answered who had been responsible.

"I was helping a friend of my own that made me a silent partner in her club after that whole mess. How is our mutual beat priestess doing?" Sarah asked as our russian friend brought out a bottle and two shot glasses from beneath his desk.

"She is doing well comrade, last I heard she had been able to extend her club a fair bit. Renovated it quite nicely. LA is better off without Camarilla overseers in control of the Anarch Free State." That confirmed he was at least in the know if not a vampire himself. The blood packs he brought out and mixed with his alcohol answered the question as to whether or not he was part of the V club before he tossed back one of the shot glasses.

"Certainly less arrogant for one." Samuel couldn't help but point out wryly. "Now, not to interrupt this interesting conversation, but what about sleeping moron over there?"

Handing a mixed shot to Sarah, the vampire poured himself a second before toasting Sarah's health and quickly downing his glass as Sarah did the same in respect to the man before us. "Sorry for ghoul behavior, he is new to this and has not learned discretion. Will have to give him pointed lesson in that later, let him sleep it off for now however. He should be honored he only wake up with headache from our Brujah friend. Me? I'm a Gangrel, we don't take kindly to such screwups."

"I'm glad to hear it." Sarah kindly said before setting the shot glass down by her side.

"I'm certain we have much to discuss. Just to make one thing clear, if that moron comes looking for revenge or something of the like I'll kneecap him, if he continues to annoy us, I'll execute him. Sounds fair?" Samuel asked disturbingly calm, raising one eyebrow in challenge.

"If he is that stupid after I've talked with him you can kill him before you kneecap him. I don't need someone who is unable to learn." The Gangrel replied with a boisterous laugh.

"Fair enough." My human friend conceded before a shark like grin began to spread over his face. "Another thing though, you said you were mafia, so I have to wonder could you… acquire some explosives for me? For the right price of course."

"Of course, but I do so for Brujah friend, not you. You prove yourself capable, I do business with you too and your pretty friend." The Gangrel replied and nodded to myself and Samuel for emphasis. "I have to ask however, what do you want with explosives?"

"Sabbat hunting." Sarah replied matter of factly, which earned another boisterous laugh from the Gangrel.

"I had feeling that was the case. So, you be wanting Astrolite for such a job. I see what I can do for you Brujah. Your friends however, not so liked by me, yet."

"Understandable." Sarah mused and nodded, not at all surprised by the russian man's attitude regarding us. I wasn't so surprised either since it seemed this was my life anymore, proving myself to everyone we ran into.

"Well at least you're honest about it, instead of hiding your intentions behind 'trials'." Samuel noted calmly and shrugged. "Out of curiosity, what would we have to do to prove ourselves capable?"

The russian paused and gave us scrutinizing glares for several moments before seeming to come to a decision. "Hmm, depends on what you are willing to do, but simple jobs for simple favors seem fair. Want something more however, will have to be willing to get one's hands dirty. Nothing you won't be able to sleep with however, might be Mafia but not criminal….not bad criminal at least." He corrected himself. "Have honor, not into slave trade. Would not like to end up like fools down in warehouse district."

I think that was the moment where my mind decided to shut down and just play 'Oh shit' in an infinite loop. I was here, sitting with a vampire member of the russian mafia, and apparently he had somehow known the guys I had burned to a cinder. That could be bad very very bad. Or perhaps he would be elated, I wasn't willing to tell him the truth and find out. He answered my question for me however and only smiled in what I think he meant to be reassuring. "Relax little rose, you do us favor by removing competition, even if that not intent. You still prove yourself capable in sanctioned job for us if you wish more help from us, but as stands now, you are alright."

"And your little turf war with the Kuei-Jin, I trust we won't be drawn into that either, right?" Samuel asked with a sharp glint in his gray eyes.

He shrugged in response but the barest hint of an angry gleam filled the russian's gaze. "Kuei-Jin can go suck on molotov cocktail. We been at war with them for years, but they don't bother with small time most days. So no, until you make yourself big fish, they likely leave you alone. Sarah however, not so small fish, I think you know."

"I'm aware. I just don't want you tricking us into attacking them, because then they won't care how small fish we are." Samuel replied calmly, unimpressed in the face of the russian's anger.

Tossing back another glass of mixed blood and alcohol, the russian grunted but nodded in agreement. "Fair enough, but as I said, have honor so we have no problem in such a case. Sarah, come back again, you always welcome. When we have Astrolite, we call you."

"Thanks. I never did get your name comrade." Sarah replied as she stood to her feet, which we took as our cue to prepare to leave behind her.

"Ah, apologies." The giant chuckled before standing to his full, impressive height. "Andrei. And your companions are?"

"Samuel and Alexandria." Sarah said before we could try and come up with an excuse as to not share our names. It was probably just as well though because Andrei didn't seem the type of guy you lied to and expected to get away with it.

"Any friend of Sarah is friend of mine, please, help yourself to my little club. Drinks, blood, drugs, whatever you need, Andrei can provide." Waving his hand in dismissal, Sarah wasted no time in dragging us out of the office before the giant could change his mind. We had only just made it to the door when Andrei's ghoul started to stir.

"Hey...wait." He groaned, only for Andrei to stomp over to the greased up moron and drag him to his feet. "Hey...boss. I was just coming to see you." He said, snapping to full alertness as Andrei glared daggers down at him. I didn't feel the need to step between them as I took no small amount of satisfaction from the _very_ uncomfortable look on the kid's face.

"Ghouls…" Sarah just said lowly with an exasperated shake of her head, yet I could see something else in her red eyes as we made our way out onto the dance floor once more. If I hadn't known any better, I would have said she seemed sad about something ghoul related.

"Not all of them are bad." Samuel butted in softly. "Some just lack the necessary guidance… or brains."

"Yeah…" Sarah agreed but would say nothing else on the matter as she left us behind only to take a seat at the bar. While she didn't say it, I could tell she didn't want to talk about it further, and Samuel and I both took it as a hint to leave her alone for the moment.

"What's up with her?" I asked Samuel, torn between being worried and genuinely curious.

"Don't know, but I think I can guess. In any case, it wouldn't be right for us to snoop around in her past. I wouldn't do that to you either."

"Well you read my file, remember?" I was quick to remind him.

"That's not the same." He quickly defended himself. "That was just regular information, nothing really personal."

"If you say so, still waiting for a file on you though."

"Oh, you wouldn't like it, trust me." Samuel told me as a forced smile appeared on his face. "Nothing of interest in there."

"Uh huh, if you say so." I replied skeptically, and looked at him critically for a moment before shrugging. "Fine, you can keep your secrets… for now."

"How gracious of you." Came the dry response a moment later. "But weren't you busy before our native ghoul showed up?"

"Oh… right. Let's do this… I guess."

"Ugh, can't believe I'm saying this but you already asked me once so… if you want you can drink from me." The offer took me by surprise, but the moment it was made, I could only shake my head.

That said, I offered him a smile and hugged him briefly for it all the same. "Thanks, but no. You've kinda grown on me Samuel, like that annoying brother I never had. It'd be downright weird, doing that to you."

"Wow, you really know what to say to make me feel special." He deadpanned with a small smile. "Okay, how about this, I knock them out and you do your thing?"

I laughed but once more shook my head at the idea. Despite my discomfort over the whole thing, I was touched he was trying to make me feel better about it. "No, I have to do this myself." I replied before taking a breath I didn't need before turning to the revelers on every side. "It can't be that hard right?" I mused aloud, although whether I was trying to convince myself or Samuel I couldn't say.

"Nah, just be your charming self." Samuel stated and patted me on the back. Before I could go a step further however, he tapped me on the shoulder and nodded to the bar, where I saw Sarah walking away with a guy that looked a little wobbly on his feet already. "Well, she might not have good taste but she has the right idea. Andrei probably has backrooms for the vamps that come here, if not for those that just want to party in other ways." He explained, which earned an understanding nod from me. I had seen enough movies after all to get the idea what he was saying, and while they might not be exactly accurate in most cases, fiction always had at least a little element of truth to them. So hearing that the backrooms were reserved for those that wanted to party without their clothes or for us vamps needing to feed in privacy wasn't so surprising to me.

It did however drive home the point that all this had been happening right underneath our collective noses and no one was the wiser of it, save for those humans the vampires found useful or trustworthy in keeping their existence a secret. It wasn't worth thinking about now though. But it did help me come up with an idea, oddly enough. Our existence depended on us successfully blending in, so what better way to blend in, than to join in the revels taking place around me? Answer, there was no better way. And for a moment I allowed myself to close my eyes and simply dance to the rhythm of the music.

It felt short, for perhaps a heartbeat only, but when I reopened my eyes I noticed something. A lot of people had turned in my direction, like we were some kind of solar system, and I was the sun in its centre, or perhaps it would be more fitting to say an all consuming black hole. Either way, I was stunned into immobility for all of two seconds before I mentally said 'fuck it', and decided to continue. Something in my cursed blood wanted this, to be the center of their adoration, their worship, as it were, and I couldn't help but enjoy it. It was….heady, in the best way, especially after all the crap I'd been through since waking up on that metal slab, and before, with a life that felt like it had happened to someone else now. I wanted to just let go for a while and enjoy myself, and this was the perfect place to do it.

Say what you want about me, but this was probably the first time I ever just let go for a few minutes and went with the flow. Like those around me, I swayed my hips, waved my arms above my head, and just tossed my head to and fro in time with the music. Yet my undefinable allure had every eye from every person with a pulse, and likely a few that didn't, drawn to me, and they continued to gravitate my way even though I wasn't consciously trying to do anything of the sort. It still felt amazing though, to have this kind of power over them all, to be able to command them with only a few sensual movements and erotically charged gestures. It was more power than I had ever had in my life before, and it felt amazing in its own way. Presence is good like that though, even when you aren't trying to use it, it tends to help you out anyway by making you the center of attention. That said, it can backfire just as quickly since not everyone who is drawn in will be swayed to kiss your ass.

By the time I had started to slow down a bit, I couldn't help but notice I had drawn the eye of no less than three scantily clad brunettes that were all too eager to fight over my undivided attention. One look towards Samuel said he wasn't going to be any help as he just laughed and shook his head at the scene about to play itself out if I didn't step in. I noticed him holding a champagne glass to his lips, very similar to the way Azazel had done so while watching me over its edge. And suddenly it wasn't that hard to imagine the two men together laughing at something, namely me, while telling jokes.

With a huff of annoyance, I put myself between the three brunettes and grabbed the first one my eyes fell on. The other two let out disappointed groans but they and the rest of the crowd I had gathered dispersed as my 'date' was all too eager to drag me the same way Sarah had gone with hers. Apparently this wasn't the first time the woman had visited the back rooms, but I wasn't about to ask since that familiar itch in the back of my throat had started to become more pronounced. I just hoped that I could stop myself before I did something that I would regret.

Still, I had the urge to shove her into the next room and take what I wanted, which sounded wrong even in my head. The truth was that I only was only doing this for her blood, I wasn't interested in her in a romantic way. Perhaps I could have been, but after losing Eliza, I didn't even think of another romantic relationship. A part of me felt bad for merely using the brunette bimbo as a tool to further my own agenda, but I figured that the pleasure she would get from the experience would compensate her adequately. That's what I tried to tell myself anyway as I shut the door by bumping it with my butt. No sooner had I done so did the brunette push me against the door and pin me, her lips on mine in as many heartbeats.

There's a reason why sex and feeding tend to go hand in hand. And while I wasn't looking for sex, I'll admit that she was hot, and I hadn't had any...release, of that sort, since that night that had seen me changed into a vampire. But somehow, I managed to regain control of the situation by turning us around so her back was against the door and broke the kiss with a feigned, sultry laugh before I leaned in to whisper in the brunette's ear. I don't know what I said to her, but it had the desired effect as she offered a little moan of need and leaned her head to the side, allowing me to trail a line of kisses down her tanned throat. Of course, most kisses don't end with someone plunging their fangs into their carotid artery, but she wasn't complaining, far from it in fact.

Just like the blonde in Catherine's penthouse, the girl in my arms was all for it as she grabbed the back of my head and held me close, her other hand finding its way to the small of my back. I didn't have to do much to keep her in place, the door doing most of the work for me.

This time it was… easier. Perhaps I was less hungry, her blood was just more potent than I had expected it to be, thus satisfying my thirst quicker, or perhaps it was something else. Whatever the case, I stopped drinking her blood as soon as the burning desire disappeared from my throat. I slowly removed my lips from her neck and looked at her, she smiled at me with widened pupils, like she was on drugs or in delirium. I gave her a guilty smile and looked around, and was relieved to see a couch was sitting next to the opposing wall. I gently carried her there and laid her down. It was only right to take care of her, at least a little. My musings however were interrupted by a slow clapping from behind me.

"Congratulations, fledgling. You finally drank blood from the source. Doesn't it make you feel powerful?" Standing in the door, as regal and snakelike as ever, was the Setite from the party. The amused, sultry gleam in her glowing eyes was more than a little unnerving as she sashayed her way towards me and my...dance partner. The quiet clatter of her bangles on her right wrist were the only sound I could hear as she soon stood over me and the brunette that had since passed out, a drugged like smile on her face. I however couldn't tear my eyes away from the equal parts intimidating and sexy, dark skinned Setite in front of me to notice. "My name is Taweret, and I think you and I are going to get along quite wonderfully." I didn't have much say in the matter because I found, to my horror, that I couldn't move. I was paralyzed by simply meeting the Setite's gaze, and the knowing smile on her face was the last thing I remember seeing before I was forcibly put into Torpor when a stake was stabbed into my chest. If she had staked me through the heart it would have killed me, but the fact my Setite captor staked me elsewhere said she wanted me alive.

Yeah, remember I said my luck sucked? This is just another example of how bad it is.

 **End Notes:** _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Cliffhangers. Don't you just hate them? Lol sorry folks, but you're just gonna have to wait for the next chapter to see how Alex gets out of this mess. P Seriously though, we hope you've enjoyed the show so far, and that we keep seeing those wonderful reviews in the days to come._

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Hey folks, sorry about the cliffhanger, but we thought it necessary. Better this way than drawing the chapter on and on without some purpose. Don't worry though, we already have one for the next chapter, sort of, kinda. Anyway hope you enjoyed this chapter, we thought this would be a good time to show a little bit more of Juliet and Samuel as well. And introduce some new and old characters. Hope to see you next time. Until then, bye!_

 _ **Vergil1989**_ _: Take care folks, until next time!_


	9. Religiosity

**Author(s)' Notes and warning:** _We felt it appropriate that we leave a warning because this earns its M rating at last for what happens in this chapter. Also, remember our earlier disclaimer saying that our views do not in any way, shape, or form match that of our characters? Well, you're about to see why we said so._

 **Chapter 9: Religiosity**

If it wasn't apparent already, I hate religion. My mother's talk of fire and brimstone and all the evils of the world didn't help my opinion of it, and while it might bring supposed comfort and what have you to those that need it, I find it all a convenient lie as well as a crutch. To me, religion has always been an excuse to commit untold atrocities against our fellow man. Let me explain to you why I think so, beyond my personal bias, and yes I admit my opinion isn't the best for that same reason, but you're still here, so you must value it, right?

I could go on about the crap going on across the sea with Al Qaeda and ISIS and all those other religious and terrorist based movements out there, but I prefer to go another route altogether since those stories are as old as time itself. There are countless examples of groups like them, coming together for the same bullshit reasons, using the same bullshit excuses, and committed to the same zealot behavior, even if in some cases, they pretend not to be. But if you've been paying attention you'll likely guess where I'm going long before I get there, given all the movie and popular pop culture references I've thrown out since this story began. Yep, you guessed it, I have a few more to throw out here. But as I've stated before in various ways, fiction always has elements of truth to it. Doesn't matter if it's horror, science fiction, or something else altogether, fiction always has at least some kind of truth behind it.

This little lesson on religion however, starts not on Earth, but on a distant world that was, at first reached through a series of gates able to contain and open a wormhole which allowed near instantaneous travel between each gate using a set of coordinates inputted via a nearby dialing device. Heard of this one have you? Yeah, I'm a Stargate fan on top of Firefly and its movie Serenity. Eventually the heroes of the show and the planet they represented would develop faster than light travel, but their main way to get around the galaxy would always be the Stargate. Anyway, the movie that started this particular craze of exploration on the big and small screens, while somewhat lacking compared to the cult following that came later, started small. Our intrepid explorers came upon an alien race that had their unwashed masses, slaves in the kindest sense of the word, believing that they were gods in human form.

The alien race in question were snake like symbiotes called the goa'ulds, and once inside a living body, they were able to seize control of their human hosts. Despite the classification as symbiotes, the goa'ulds were by and large, more parasitic in nature, manipulating the body they were attached to like a master puppeteer. As such, their slave armies and servants gladly lived and died for their would be gods, and while there were holdouts, those that didn't believe in their false godhood, they tended not to survive for long since they were vastly outnumbered, and the goa'uld had stolen advanced technology and made it their own, long ago. Their tech aided in their efforts to maintain the idea they were the gods they had made themselves out to be with powerful weapons and defensive measures at their disposal, tech they told their servants was magic, and that trying to understand how their technology work was forbidden, thus ensuring their lie continued unchallenged.

While Stargate and the shows it spawned are obviously a work of fiction, there's truth there because the symbiotes had built an entire pantheon around themselves, styling themselves after most of the Egyptian gods of our culture, or rather they had brought the idea to Earth in a sense. The goa'uld lost the location of Earth when we uprised against them in ancient times, but their false culture had remained behind, which we ended up adopting as our own.

The Setites are like the goa'ulds, in that they believe themselves to be serving a god of incredible power, and while they don't have advanced alien technology backing their bid for false ascension, they don't need it. Their influence is just as pervasive, just as keenly felt for those that have come into contact with them for any length of time, and they are masters of manipulation on par if not better than any Toreador. They'll cite their scriptures, weave their spells, and make you believe, either through guile or force, although they prefer willing supplicants over brainwashed slaves. But if they can't bend you to their will, they have other ways of getting what they want. I know because I was a 'guest' of their hospitality, and they weren't about to let me leave without a fight.

But let me get back to why I hate religion before we get any further in this, my latest misadventure. Like the goa'ulds, and the countless examples I could drawn upon throughout history, the Setites believe in what they're doing, to the point they're willing to die for their god, Set. They use their religion to vindicate themselves, to make it so they feel no guilt, shame, or remorse in anything they do. They hide behind their beliefs like any conman you might come across, and if you try to challenge them, it won't work because either they'll A, argue with you until you give up and perhaps even start to see things as they do, or B, they'll leave you to bleed out in the middle of the street. Basically, you can't win with religious zealots. And as I've also said before, these Setites are everywhere, even among the Camarilla although those in the Camarilla will deny it. They'd rather live in ignorance than face the possibility they have enemies among their ranks. Bleh, sorry, I just got no reason to like those in a position of power faith tends to give them over their followers, especially after my ordeals with the Setites.

I don't know how long I had that stake in my chest, or where that bitch Taweret took me, only that when I woke up, I was...somewhere else. Rather, when I was allowed to wake up once that stake was removed and my forced Torpor faded away after some time had passed. Like coming out of a very deep sleep, I was slow to regain any sense of self or awareness beyond my sleep heavy mind, but eventually the fog disappeared and I slowly came back from...wherever I'd been. Torpor was like coming out of a very vivid dream, things just didn't make sense for the longest time, but eventually that weird, outer body feeling went away and I remembered what had happened, but the deadened, fuzzy feeling in my limbs was just as slow to fade as the confusion was.

I however knew one thing, first that I was in trouble and second, that I was really pissed about getting abducted like some princess from a cheap movie where the damsels are helpless bimbos and the heroes are Herculean manly men. With a growl, I slowly forced my limbs to move and opened my eyes, in the hopes I'd be able to get my bearings. No luck on the latter because I was underground, at least I think I was, because there was no windows, no light of any kind beyond that which was provided by an overhead light, but I could see what I took as concrete or stone, it was too dark to be sure. The curious thing though was that I was in a bed, and not just a bed, I mean it was like something out of a fairytale kind of bed. Four posters, a translucent white canopy hanging from the top railing, and the bed itself was huge and very, very comfortable.

Which put me on high alert, comfortable bed like out of a fairytale? I suddenly had the sneaking suspicion of being used in a human, eh, Kindred sacrifice. Probably with lots of pain and blood for whatever dark gods these idiots worshipped. Oh if only they wanted me for a sacrifice, things might not have gone as bad as they did, but I didn't know what Taweret wanted, why she had abducted me, only that I had every intention of making her pay for it. As soon as my limbs were no longer dead and useless, I got out of my comfortable prison and went right for the gold painted, hieroglyphic covered doors, and wasn't all that disappointed to find they were locked from the other side. "Let me out of here Taweret, or whatever your fucking name is!" I shouted, but no one answered. Even when I pounded my fists on the door, they remained unmoving, undamaged, being made of something strong enough to resist a vampire's enhanced strength. "Let me out!"

"Calm yourself childe." I turned on my heel, but there was no one there. I flicked my eyes above the bed however and saw there was a speaker embedded in the wall. "You'll be let out soon, but I thought we'd take the time to talk first. I promise to have arrangements made to let you out, but first you need to be in a calmer, more receptive frame of mind."

"Talk to my face!" I shouted back, "Besides, you _promise_? Oh great, I'll definitely trust the person who stabbed and abducted me. That makes sense."

"Do you have another choice?" The voice asked, but I was disappointed by the simple fact the speaker seemed more amused with my tantrum than threatened. As for the speaker's voice itself, it was impossible to identify because it was distorted, disguised, so for all I knew it was Taweret herself I was talking to.

Regardless of the truth, it didn't help with my mood any, as you can expect. "Yes! I'll wait until you walk in here so I can rip your head off before beating your friend to death with it!" I roared, my blue eyes full of vengeful fury and outrage. I'm kinda surprised my brunette hair didn't stand on end and bolts of electricity didn't crackle off my skin. Jokes aside, like I said, I was pissed, like _really_ pissed. Could you blame me? I also would have liked to scream at them until their ears bled, or promise them that my friends would find me and kick their asses, but to be honest I wasn't sure if they would. That seemed more like the kind of thing that only happened in movies. The heroes would rush in at the last second kind of thing, but I had to help myself here, because I think I knew, even then, that Taweret had gotten away without leaving a trace of our disappearance. And I would be proven right, but at the time I didn't allow myself to think like that, not that I was in a rational state of mind anyway if my macho inspired threats were anything to go by.

And as shouldn't be surprising by now, the speaker merely chuckled but clucked their tongue in disappointment at my continued anger and outrage. "Please childe, you are not helping yourself by acting no better than a barbarian. I get the impression you haven't been denied since your Embrace by the corrupt Toreador. Well, consider this a wake up call, childe. You _will_ calm down, so we can talk like civilized people, or you will remain, locked away like a princess in her tower, except no noble knight will be along to save you. The possibility of freedom depends on your actions, and so far, you have done nothing to prove yourself worthy of your freedom." Having said their peace, there was a burst of feedback before the speaker died, and gave way to silence.

Slamming my hand against the door once more, I spun on my heel and stomped over to the bed. The room itself was spartan perhaps, with no decorations beyond what was on the door, but it was big, mostly to accommodate the bed. There was a bathroom with all the trappings, but nothing that really stood out as significant or beyond utilitarian. There was a bath, a shower, a sink, a toilet although I didn't need it, but they weren't ostentatious or overly decorative. Function over form I guess. In the bedroom itself, there was a simple dress of drawers and a wooden closet set partially in the wall on the left side, but beyond that there was little else besides the speaker above the bed anyway. Which made me wonder something. Why was the bed the most expensive looking piece of furniture in my little prison you might ask? I'd find that out later, and there _was_ a reason, just not an obvious one.

My search turned up nothing beyond what my eyes had already seen. No vents, no secret passageways, not that I had expected to find one, no hatches of any kind. I was trapped, just like I'd been trapped in the morgue cabinet until I had broken my way out, except this time, there would be no escape. Not without outside help at least. And that brought to mind something else. Remember I said I didn't know how much time had passed since being brought to this gray room with its giant bed? For a vampire that's not a good thing, because we're creatures of habit out of necessity rather than desire when it comes to our feeding schedule, provided our thirst isn't exacerbated by injury or overuse of our abilities, and despite my last memory of having fed from that brunette at the club, I had no idea how much time had passed. I knew some time must have passed though because I was already feeling that familiar burn in the back of my throat, which meant it had been more than a day, possibly longer, since my last drink. I was fine, for now, but I knew I wouldn't remain fine if I didn't do something soon.

Looking back, I think they would have found any excuse they could to do what they did, which was to starve me. At the time though the speaker kept telling me that it was my actions, my continued belligerent attitude, that kept me from being let out sooner. Granted, they were right, because anytime they came on the air, I was more than happy to spit and yell and curse with every bit of southern rage I could muster, and let me tell you, southern country belles can make even a hardened sailor blush once we get going. And I had a lot of pent up rage to work out of my system, as you can imagine. Unfortunately for me, the Setites holding me had time on their side, they had all the power, where all I had were my wits, my dwindling strength, and my failing sanity as the thirst became something alive and all consuming. It drowned out any rational thought, demanding to be quenched, and there was nothing I could do to satisfy it.

While waking up in that morgue cabinet had been bad in terms of how thirsty I had been at the time, it was over quickly and I was able to satisfy that burning sensation in the pit of my stomach pretty rapidly thanks to Samuel's forethought. If he hadn't left that box of blood bags in the room, chances are I would have torn open some SOB's throat the moment they walked in. This however, this slow, drawn out torture, was many times worse because I didn't wake up like this. Oh no, I was left to rot, to feel that craving build, and build, and build until it was all I could think about. I'm pretty sure I could feel my sanity and ability to resist slipping away inches at a time, and I wasn't able to do anything to stop it, that's the worst part of this whole thing. Let that sink in for a moment. You're trapped in a room, with only one exit that's locked, and all you can do is think and try and hold onto whatever humanity you have, but it's a slow, losing battle as the Beast demands to be fed, and its cries for satiation become ever more pronounced. And like your stereotypical drug addict being denied her fix, I ranted, raved, threw myself against the walls, cried, pleaded, and basically lost my shit altogether until only the Beast remained.

When that happens, nothing is left of who you were before the Embrace. It all becomes instinctual, animalistic, senses on alert for even the faintest smell of fresh blood in the air. Some vampires go so far as to open their own wrists and try and feed on themselves in an effort to remember what fresh blood tastes like. For me, the devolution into a feral beast was thankfully short and I don't remember much of it beyond flashes, like being caught in a strobe light. All I can remember was snarling, pulling my hair out of my skull, and rolling around like a dog in its own filth. Anything to get my captors' attention, to feed, to slake my thirst and survive another night.

So by the time a hidden slot at the bottom of the left hand door was pulled aside and a half dozen rats were let in, I wasn't about to complain. It wasn't enough to fill me, not by a long shot, especially after being starved for so long, but by the time I had tore open rat number six, and slurped down every drop I could out of its black little furry hide, I was at least able to think clearly again to some extent. But sucking on rats is not something I'd recommend unless you're in a dire situation, because they taste like shit and are about as filling for a vampire. And if you're Ventrue, you can forget about even trying because you'll just end up throwing it back up and end up worse off than where you started. I'm Toreador, a step below a Ventrue in terms of having a sensitive palette, so trust me when I say that it took a considerable effort for me not to throw up what little blood I had been allowed, despite how thirsty I had been before I'd started. The Setites know their vampires, and what drives us all to desperate measures and makes us all too susceptible to their manipulations.

As bad tasting as they were, they might as well have been a gift from the gods themselves as clarity returned and memory soon followed with it. It wasn't the thirst itself that made me so grateful however, it was the simple fact they had decided to show mercy at all. They could have just as easily let me starve and let me go into a frenzy, only to send some hapless idiot into the room to be torn apart by me before sending in someone else to clean up the mess and to talk me into submission. Instead they kept me sane, coherent, because as I've said before, the Setites want willing supplicants, not drooling lunatics. That and I was in no position to fight any longer.

"Please….just let me go." I begged, now that I could think and act beyond mere animal instinct again, my back to the wall and my knees drawn up to my bloody chin. I had been a messy eater, and I was pretty sure I had a piece of fur stuck between my teeth, not that I was any frame of mind to care as crimson tears rolled down my face. "Just let me go…."

"Are you willing to talk like a civilized woman?" The speaker asked.

"Yes…" I sobbed, my blue eyes boring holes through the box above the bed, but there was no more fire behind them anymore. As much as the rats had been given to me to return me to my senses, they were also the first link in the chains the Setites had begun to forge around me. A visceral reminder of the power they held over me and any vampire that aren't a part of their religion. Remind you of anything? Of a certain painting on Juliet's wall perhaps? As she said herself, Juliet's gift, and curse, is to see things that haven't happened yet, and while it's perhaps an extreme form of insight given to all Malkavians, alongside the madness that always follow being Embraced by a Malk, is it any surprise she saw me held fast by invisible chains? The picture might not have had a face, but that in itself was symbolic of my losing my identity to what was happening. I was my own worst enemy in this situation, just like so many lost, desperate souls the Setites tend to target in an effort to convert them to their way of thinking.

So when the doors opened, allowing four women, dressed in black, voluminous robes, their faces covered and obscured, I could not have been happier to see someone else after being trapped in that place for who knew how long. They were ghouls, trained and brought into this life of devout worship to Set from day one, and like their vampiric masters, they were willing to die for their faith, for their beliefs, but their job in that moment was to simply get me cleaned up and fed. And….I kinda needed it. Days of imprisonment, without a steady supply of blood, does nothing for one's appearance. That and while I don't remember doing so even to this day, I had taken to biting my own arms in an effort to satiate myself, so my clothes were torn and I had dried blood and pieces of flesh splattered about my body. As I said, I was a mess, in more ways than one.

One stood above the others, and nodded to her sisters, unsurprising they were all women in retrospect, before the one on the left threw back her hood as the other two helped me to my feet. "Sssshhhh, you're among friends, Alex." The woman, no older than maybe twenty three, said before brushing some of my matted, filthy hair out of my face. "You're in safe hands." The two holding me up were gentle while the short haired blonde beckoned them to assist me to the edge of the bed. The woman behind them watched on, overseeing what her three companions did as the blonde took charge once I was safely situated on the bed. Where the gold hilted dagger came from I never saw, but I watched, transfixed as the robed woman on my left rolled up her sleeve before the blonde slashed her wrist. The smell hit me first before the robed woman presented her arm to my waiting lips. "Drink deep from her." The blonde crooned, not that I needed the encouragement.

Even though I had been purposely starved and left on the brink, I still, by some miracle, managed not to drain the woman dry as I buried my fangs deep into her slashed wrist. Even though I wasn't biting her neck as I had done with everyone else I had drank from thus far, my bite still had the same effect as she moaned and offered little whimpers of pleasure as I slurped at the cut. And when she had passed out, the cut disappearing once I flicked my tongue over the mark when I somehow managed to pull myself away, another wrist was soon offered up for me to sink my teeth into. While I was working on robed fanatic number two, the blonde and her still masked friend watched on, the blonde's emerald gaze focused solely on me, a deep, longing or hunger evident in her face that wasn't unlike my own I imagine, although for what I didn't know despite the fact I was a little preoccupied with the warm, life giving blood sliding down my throat.

The bed's reason became obvious as the blonde and her still standing, and so far silent, friend helped the other two into its confines while I panted in immense relief and satisfaction. I felt better, from a physical standpoint, but I was not in a good place mentally as I looked up to my captors. "Why?"

The blonde chuckled and started to reach out to brush more of my hair out of my face, but I batted her hand away. She didn't react save to drop her hand to her side. "Why did we feed you? You were hungry, and we were told to take care of you, Alex." I shot her an annoyed glare, but she merely smiled in response. I think it wasn't meant to be creepy, but I still got a creepy vibe all the same as the blonde cocked her head to the side. "Why are we holding you? That is not for me to say, because I don't know myself, but I can guess. The high priestess likely believes you can be turned away from your corrupted, foolish masters because you're still young. Our job is to make you presentable now that you're willing to listen. Or we can leave you here until you're more compliant." She stated matter of factly, but I already knew I didn't want be starved again, I didn't want to be trapped in that room any longer, so I shook my head immediately.

"Good. You, get her undressed and washed up. I'll clean up here." The last of the masked women bowed her head and moved to my side before gently pulling me to my feet. I wasn't about to argue. I was too petrified of being left alone again to even consider doing more than glare impotently at the blonde. Not that there was any heat in my glare, I hadn't had the strength to muster it. My body may have regenerated, but my mind was still exhausted from the starvation and the isolation. Of having given way to the Beast even if I hadn't actually hurt anyone except myself in my madness. You don't go back from that without scars, memory loss or not.

While the blonde went about the room, picking up the pieces of what furniture was left after I had broken it apart, among other things, the woman that kept me upright led me to the bathroom before methodically disrobing me without so much as a sideways glance. I don't know who was tending to me, but I didn't care, not at that point. The hot water was a welcome relief of its own as the muck and filth slowly disappeared once I was naked and pushed gently under the shower's head. Not that I would have noticed if the water turned cold exactly, but I kept expecting something to happen, like the masked woman at my side would suddenly turn on the cold water just to deny me even this much comfort at the very least. But she did nothing, the hot water never stopped, and I was allowed as much time as I needed to clean up and regain something of my former self.

When I stepped out, a towel was waiting which the woman gently wrapped around me before giving me a curious, amused look even though I couldn't exactly see her face. When she pulled the cloth mask away however, I immediately wanted to wrap my hands around Tawaret's throat when I saw her snake like visage mere inches away from mine. "I thought that would get your attention."

"You….." But whatever anger had started to raise its ugly head dissolved when Taweret merely looked at the door before glancing back at me. The silent message was heard loud and clear, so I sighed and pushed past the Setite. "What do you want?" I asked, tiredly, exhausted.

"What I've always wanted Alex, but we haven't really had much time to talk since our fated meeting at the party." Fated meeting, right. I didn't comment on that though as snake face glided to the door of the bathroom and gently shut it so I couldn't get away from her without going through her. "I didn't lie about my interest in you Alex. You were the only good thing in that little gathering of hypocrites and sycophants. Your Primogen, Catherine, for example, pretends to be your friend, but I think we both know she's not. And she is only the most public example of what is so wrong with the Camarilla, of what is wrong with the world at large honestly."

"And you're not? I don't see the Camarilla locking people up on a whim and starving them just to prove a point!"

Taweret only smiled and shook her head at my response. "And how do you know that for certain, Alex? You might be surprised at just how truly awful the Camarilla are to those they deem a threat, and in some cases, death is too quick for their supposed crimes. You think you've suffered here?" She snorted in derision at her own words. "You have no idea what pain truly is. No idea."

I wanted to argue with her, to tell her that she had made me suffer enough already, that she was a monster who was too blind to see that what she was doing was wrong. But I didn't, I was too tired, too afraid, too uncertain because what if she was right? What if the Camarilla was far worse than I believed it to be? I had no idea, and that's what scared me, which was again the point of this little conversation. Taweret was a testament to her people, twisted as they are, and she knew exactly what buttons to push, not that she needed to push hard at that point.

"You're not a fool, Alex. You're a strong, independant woman who has gone through more than most your age, and I'm not talking about your recent ordeals as a Kindred." Taweret continued. "You cherish your freedom, because you've had so little of it before leaving your home town of Shady Dale, so your captivity is no doubt an affront to you on that merit alone, but we have no intention of holding you as you've always been held. We want to set you free."

Funny thing about her ideal of freedom, it's just another kind of prison when dealing with the Setites. Not that I knew that at that point. Sure I was suspicious, but not nearly enough. I should have been though. Instead, I found myself curious, and relented, if only slightly, as I beckoned Taweret to continue. Before she did however, I stepped just a little closer and glared into the Setite's glowing eyes. A bad idea if she had wanted to freeze me again, but we were past that point, for the moment at least. "I'll listen, but if you try and do anything like you did at the club, I will end you."

Taweret only smiled, because we both knew what my chances were of success. "You would try, yes. But are you truly so naive as to believe that you could follow through with your threats?" She asked instead, and when I didn't immediately respond, Taweret reached up and ran the back of her dark skinned hand across my left cheek. "So strong, so defiant, you'll do well, but only if you can control your temper. And we already know how to do that by force if necessary, but I'd rather not go through such an ugly ordeal again, do you?"

"You talk of freedom and threaten me in your next sentence? How am I supposed to believe you?" I asked her, even as my blue eyes widened to the point that any more and they might have fallen out of my head.

"Because I merely tell you the truth, ugly as it is. If you want a pretty little lie, why don't you go back to your supposed friends?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I hissed at her. Even though she had already beaten me, I couldn't help but feel angry at the insult to my friends anyway.

"Oh? You mean they didn't tell you, my bad." She said with mock sympathy. "Your little friend from Santa Monica, yes I know it was her, don't look so surprised." I"ll admit that I took a little twinge of satisfaction when Taweret rubbed at the same hand Sarah had crushed. "You think her the hero of her little tale? Well, incomplete as it is, you would likely think so. But the truth is that she has killed dozens of innocent people, just because she got hungry. I even got a little footage, wanna see? Of course you want to."

With that she indicated a screen that had thus far been inactive and hidden in the ceiling when we left the bathroom. A video started to play, and considering the quality, it must have been from a surveillance camera at a gas station or the like. I could see Sarah stumble in, blood on her face. Before the man behind the counter could react, she had grabbed him and sunk her teeth into his flesh. She didn't stop until there was no more blood to gain. Afterwards, she dropped his body and walked out, without a care in the world.

"Now does this look like something a hero would do? I don't think so." Tawaret told me with a malicious smile, clearly enjoying this, my dumbfounded expression. "Oh but it gets better, your knight in shining armor. Well, I guess you could say that it's not nearly as shining as he would have you believe."

The next video was, if it was possible, even worse than the first. I didn't know exactly what I was seeing, but one moment there were four guys in some kind of storage room aiming at the door with various guns, and the next moment, there was sheer chaos as the door was blown apart. Disoriented as shrapnel rained on them, they stumbled about only to be mowed down by an as of yet unseen shooter, but I knew who it was long before he made his appearance. Two survived the initial onslaught, but they wouldn't remain alive for long. Wounded but alive, Samuel marched in, clad in his trademark suit. Without looking he shot one of the survivors in the head before he turned his gaze on the final one. He slowly marched up and switched the magazine of his pistol, ignoring the burst of ash and quickly dissolving bones that marked the end of a vampire. Once he was right in the man's face, he pointed his pistol at his chest. He fired two times in the chest, the sizzling wound made clear that it was incineration ammo. He slowly kneeled down and seemed to talk to the man, his face utterly devoid of emotion in the face of his victims suffering.

The man apparently didn't know, or didn't want to talk because Samuel merely leaned back and watched him as the fire slowly burned its way to his heart. A moment later he turned to ash as well, but I couldn't turn away from the cold, emotionless look on Samuel's face even as he turned around and the video was shut off. There was a thousand different explanations I would come up with later, once I was in a better place mentally to even think of such things, but Taweret knew I was in no way capable of coming up with a logical explanation for either of them or their actions.

"You want to know what he said? He told that man to give him the answers he wanted or he would let the fire eat its way through him till he died, in pure agony. No surprise, he _is_ a vampire hunter. Furthermore, he told more than one of my people that everyone has a breaking point, and so far he had found the breaking point of every vampire he's ever encountered. I should know, he killed a lot of my people simply because we didn't want to play by his rules. Oh, sorry, the Camarilla's rules, since he's a traitor to his own kind." She corrected herself mockingly and rolled her eyes. "Although it shouldn't be too surprising. After all, he is the deputy of the sheriff."

I'm pretty sure I heard the sound of breaking glass when Taweret let that little tidbit slip. Then I realized it was something in my own mind breaking as the Setite's words registered, and suddenly everything made sense. The reason why I hadn't found Eliza's killer, why Catherine had been afraid and hated Samuel enough that she wouldn't allow him anywhere near her penthouse, yet trusted him enough to drive me around? It was because he was working for Charles, hell, for all I knew Samuel had been the one to put Eliza down. I wanted to deny it, but the facts were pretty straightforward when taken in this new light, and why we hadn't made any real progress in finding who was responsible for Eliza's death. He'd been covering his own ass this whole time. No surprise he'd been so willing to put a _fake_ hit out on his own boss. To make matters worse, Taweret showed me one last video, this one with Samuel meeting with Charles on the side of the road, the man himself tucked safely away in his limousine before he drove off, leaving Samuel to walk back to his car, just as his cellphone went off. Guess who it was that was calling?

Taweret's malicious grin disappeared as the dam broke and I was forced to admit she was right. Everything I thought I had known was a lie. She had been the only one to tell me the truth, and she was the only one there when I turned and faced her, my eyes already brimming with crimson tears. Without a word, she pulled me against her chest and held me as my illusions shattered and my world once more turned upside down and inside out. "I told you, I want to set you free." She whispered in my ear, her voice almost as hypnotic and all encompassing as her gaze had already proven to be. "You're nobody's puppet, not anymore." Except that was exactly what just happened as the invisible chains became longer, and guess who was holding my leash?

I was in no position to care any longer however. Samuel had betrayed me, Catherine had lied to my face, and Sarah was a monster. I had no one to turn to, except the snake right in front of me. And she was busy running her fingers through my hair and letting me cry my undead heart out without complaint. For all intents and purposes, I was drinking the koolaid, and Taweret was happily letting me do so while pretending to be my only friend. Eventually she pulled away however and bade her companions to follow, the two I had drank from having since regained consciousness. "The door will no longer be locked or barred, Alex. We have nothing to hide from you, not like your so called friends. Come find me when you're ready." Taweret said before gently shutting the door behind her once her three followers had left, the blonde being the last one to leave.

While the room was still a bit of a mess, I didn't notice as I collapsed on the bed and curled up into a small ball. And while the door remained unlocked, I didn't care, all too willing to let my mind drown itself in the 'truth' Taweret had shown me. To say a Toreador is her own worst enemy isn't a far stretch, especially fledglings who have only been around for a couple weeks.

In retrospect, I have to admit that I am disgusted with myself. I still can't believe just how quickly they managed to break me, and turn me against everyone I had previously trusted. Pathetic, I was pathetic. A few days without blood, a few videos, and a hug and I was their newest member. Just what had I been thinking? But I think that was the problem, I didn't think, I merely reacted. No surprise given my personality, and my past life before and after being Embraced, but it shouldn't have been that easy for those snakeheads to convert someone who was already so anti-religion. Yet it was, and I still can't help but be disgusted with myself to this day, even though I still have nightmares revolving around my time, trapped in that room as my thirst slowly consumed me from the inside out.

Eventually I found my way out of my self imposed prison, self imposed then at least, and was momentarily struck dumb by the long stretch of hallway and the statues of the ancient Egyptian gods lined up on either side. I couldn't identify half of them, but I knew a few, highlighted by large, stone braziers evenly spaced between the statues that cast an ominous, fiery glow over the entire hall. Ra, Anubis, Isis, as well as Horus, I knew them well enough from my days back in high school. Even Osiris, Set's brother and the King of the Living before he was dismembered by Set and his body parts scattered across the desert, despite being one of Set's greatest enemies, was on prominent display. Know your enemy or something I guess, but all of the statues were made of marble and looked brand new, which meant they were in vivid detail. As for the walls of the hallway itself, they were covered in giant mosaics of the ancient Egyptian kingdoms, showing life as it had once been during those days, save for some tedious variations such as people having their throats ripped open, among other things vampires are known for. I did find one picture to be curiously interesting however as I stopped in front of someone that looked suspiciously more snake than human, much like Taweret herself. The picture showed the Setite's heart being removed and put into a jar, yet the Setite looked fine. If anything, the next picture seemed to convey the idea the Setite without its heart was the stronger for it as the vital organ was put away somewhere safe.

Shaking my head, I proceeded onward, having no use or time for pretty pictures anymore. Making my way to the end of the hall, I soon found myself in another concrete, underground chamber, a flight of stairs leading to who knew where at the other end, and several smaller doors on either side. More statues, more mosaics, more braziers casting light in every direction, but that wasn't what had my attention. It was the two dozen people, with Taweret and someone standing behind her, that had my attention. The emerald eyed blonde was standing in front of Taweret, her back to me, but I knew who she was even at this distance as the group chanted after what I assumed was the leader had said a part of whatever spell they were weaving. I assumed it was a spell anyway, or some kind of prayer at the very least, the smell of incense and smoke thick in the air just finishing the image of some kind of cult gathering.

Taweret flicked her eyes on me for but a moment before smiling, as if approving of my arrival at this exact time before turning to face the woman before her. She whispered something to her, and the blonde didn't hesitate before letting her black robe fall away from her body to pool at her feet. The brand on her right shoulder blade drew my eye first. While small, the raised, sickly color to it said it had been burned into her flesh. I grimaced at the very idea, let alone what my imagination conjured up as what Taweret meant to these people started to sink in just as her snake like fangs extended from her upper lip. The blonde pulled her hair to the side, and stood perfectly still as Taweret ran her right hand upward along the blonde's thigh, strayed over her stomach, and took a few seconds to cup a breast before coming to a stop on the back of her neck, yet her glowing eyes remained on me the whole while even as she caressed the blonde's flesh.

The show was being put on for me I was pretty sure, and despite the fact Taweret's attention was obviously divided, the blonde didn't seem to mind as she whimpered softly in the back of her throat before a sharp, pleasured gasp escaped her when Taweret bit deep into her neck. Slowly leaning her backwards, I watched, transfixed as Taweret began to drain her. It was strangely erotic, watching someone else feed from a willing victim, and just when I thought Taweret was going to take every drop, the blonde's arms falling limp from the dark skinned Setite's body, she pulled away before easily, if gingerly, placing her on the altar I hadn't noticed until that moment.

The chanting that had been a quiet, background hum picked up in intensity and volume as Taweret brought her own wrist to her mouth and tore it open with her teeth before holding it to the blonde's lips. She jolted on the altar, and clamped her mouth firmly over the cut before she began to feed, taking her last breaths as a human being as she did. So this was what had happened to me, just minus the chanting minions on every side anyway. It was fascinating, if in a dark, debauched sense of the word, as the blonde was Embraced right before my eyes. Taweret pulled her hand away a few seconds later, and the new fledgling twitched once on the altar before falling still, but I could see she was starting to turn. Her face had already started to shift, to narrow and sink in around the eyes while her nose and tongue started elongate and narrow to a point, to become more snake like. Her skin meanwhile, started to take on a slightly paler tone as Taweret's blood began to run its course without the human's own to get in the way.

The chanting had since stopped, and two more of the robed fanatics moved in on Taweret's silent command to take the newly Embraced woman away. It wasn't until they started to walk past me, carrying a litter between them with their precious cargo laid out upon it, that I realized what my room was really meant for. It was where they took nearly Embraced to wake up in comfort, and to feed for the first time upon waking, as well as other things if they so desired. And I'd learn later that it wasn't uncommon for some newly Embraced to want to experience everything their newly undead bodies were capable of. That giant bed is starting to make a lot of sense now isn't it?

Whatever the case, once the gathering had started to disperse, Taweret herself approached, and had just finished licking her lips dry when she reached my side. "Alex, I'm glad you could join us. I had hoped you would, and you didn't disappoint."

"I got bored with staring at the ceiling." I quipped, but there was no defiance in my tone anymore as I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck before putting my hand on my hip. While I was no longer fighting against the Setites, I wasn't quite ready to put on the tinfoil hat either and start singing kumbaya with the rest of them. That said, like the rest of them, I had found only a black robe to wear, with nothing underneath, but unlike them, I didn't feel the need to cover my face. No one had said anything about it though, and Taweret didn't seem offended by my choice, so I didn't think about it further. As for my response, Taweret's glowing eyes only glowed a little brighter in amusement. "I'm wondering what you want now that we're on the same page." I stated rather than asked after a brief silence had fallen between us.

Taweret nodded and let her hand fall over my shoulders. "Walk with me, we have a lot to talk about." She replied before guiding me deeper into the Setite sanctuary. Now that I was able to take a good look at my guide, literally and otherwise, I began to notice things beyond her dark skin and glowing eyes, or the bangles on her right hand that still clicked and clattered with every movement. For one, I noticed she had what looked like snake skin on her back, as well as along her upper arms now that I could see more of her. Not only that, but I'm pretty sure there were spines sticking out along her back underneath her ceremonial robes. More or less, Tawaret was more snake like than I had originally thought, but there was an otherworldly beauty about her. The short, shoulder length, perfectly cut black hair that fell off of her head like a curtain for one. And despite the fact her glowing eyes could freeze a person in their tracks like a cobra staring down its prey before sinking its venomous fangs into their flesh, one of the few times they weren't glowing revealed they were hazel, flecked with blue around the irises. Odd perhaps, but enchanting despite what she was and what she was capable of with a mere glance, let alone what else she could do if the need arose.

We stopped in another chamber off to the left of the ritual hall, and Taweret nodded to those few inside the room, which I saw was a kind of dormitory. Bunk beds lined both sides of the rectangular room, and while half of them were empty, the other half had occupants either milling about, doing normal, everyday tasks, or just conversing with each other. When one noticed Taweret staring, she smiled and held up her hand before the young man could call the others to attention. "Easy, I'm just showing our new guest around." She reassured the young man, who immediately relaxed as did the rest of the room when they too noticed Taweret's presence. We passed through without anyone getting in our way, which was probably just as well because as far as I could tell, all of the young men and women were human. Too many heartbeats in one, enclosed space, and a vampire still shaking from being starved not so long ago? Not a good combination, even if I had fed recently and deeply for that matter.

As we walked through the dormitory and through more of the underground complex, Taweret talked. "All of those people we just passed have stories similar, if not worse than, your own, Alex. Most are runaways, the castoffs of society, the kind no one cares about. Some are simply lost souls, looking for a place to belong, to feel loved and accepted, by someone, anyone. Set does not care, and neither do we. We accept and embrace them all equally, and encourage them to be more than what they were labeled. We even go so far as to help them kick any bad habits, such as self harming or drug addictions. We look after our own, and if you don't believe me, ask them yourself. In fact, I insist, once you've had time to adjust of course."

What she failed to mention that most of them had already been given vampiric blood, ensuring their loyalty, although most of them had 'earned' the right to receive it first by proving their devotion to the Setite faith. They had willingly started down the path she was laying out before me, despite my having already been Embraced by another clan, before sealing their fates with her blood. But again, most of them were strong enough to keep most of their mental faculties despite being bound to Taweret and the other vampires in her cult here in New York, thus satisfying the Setites' desire to have willing supplicants adding to the cause. The Embrace of that blonde was just the final step into becoming a full Setite in blood as well as name. While I would never be able to be a Setite in blood, I'd find out during my talk with Taweret that same evening, that I would still be accepted into the cause if I went through the same initiation rites and rituals as the rest had before me, and that my conversion would be celebrated. _If_ I converted of course.

I'll admit that the offer, despite my resentment towards Taweret, to feel like I belonged somewhere, was tempting even in those early days. That's the trap though, it's how the Setites hold their power over their followers. It's how any cult holds its followers in check, through such subtle manipulations as pretending to be a family you never knew you needed or wanted until it's right there in front of you. All you had to do was leave your independence and free will at the door, ironically of your own volition. Either way, Taweret allowed me time to think it over, accepting the fact that it was too soon for a decision one way or the other in any event. In the meantime though, she _did_ offer me something else that Samuel, liar I believed him to be, monster I thought him to be, had talked about before I had gotten myself in this predicament.

The chance to learn how to defend myself. Now, call me crazy, but after being manhandled, by more than a few people since my Embrace, Taweret included, the very idea of learning how to take care of myself was reason enough to stick around despite the simple fact this was just another way to try and control me. To bend me to their will.

So it shouldn't come as any surprise what my answer was to that tasty offer. "I'll stay… for now." I told her after a moment of contemplation, while at this point I wasn't ready to simply forget about everything I believed it to be beneficial to stay there, at least until they had taught me how to defend myself. After that I had only one thing in mind, find Samuel and make him talk.

In response Taweret smiled at me, viper like fangs visible for the world to see. It wasn't a nice smile, more like one that promised anything but happiness. That should have been evidence enough of what I was getting myself into, and how it would end. To put it simply, I was tired of being helpless, of being at everyone else's mercy. So smart or not, Taweret was offering me something she knew I wouldn't, or couldn't, refuse. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll aren't the only things cults are good for when it comes to controlling their legions of followers. Someone with Taweret's unique skillset finds other ways to do the same without falling back on tired cliches, although the tired cliches of drugs, sex, and power do work pretty well for most people, otherwise Set's faith wouldn't have been half as successful as it's been since the days of Cain.

Whatever the case might be, Taweret guided me down another hall and into a circular chamber, decorated in much the same way as the rest of the underground sanctuary had been thus far. I was however surprised, if only slightly, when I saw another Toreador waiting for me in the circular space that was reminiscent of a gym rather than a place devoted to Set. Remember I said that Set accepts everyone into his dark embrace, and that the Camarilla has sleepers within their ranks? Cue my new trainer and the days that would follow in his 'tender loving care'.

"Well, if it isn't Catherine's new pet." Antonio stated, an annoyed glare on his otherwise handsome face. And as I had suspected before, Antonio wasn't as stupid as he made himself out to be during the party. For one, he wasn't wearing a ridiculous amount of jewelry, or had on a gaudy, ugly suit that made him stick out like a sore thumb. If anything, he looked intimidating in a pair of form fitting jeans, his muscular chest and slender but muscle packed arms on full display as he glared daggers at me. "So, you're the one Priestess Taweret wants me to train? I ought to break your spine for that little charade, just to spite that cunt Primogen you call a friend."

What? You thought Antonio, the museum's opening act during the party, was a one shot appearance? Joke's on you this time, and me apparently. The amused look on Taweret's face certainly didn't help my opinion of the priestess. "I see you two know each other."

As if she didn't know already. Bitch.

 **End Notes;** _ **Vergil1989**_ **:** _Yep, Antonio's back, he's a Setite, and he's pissed off. And he's been asked to get Alex up to snuff? This is not going to end well._

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Well, as you can see, Alex is going to have a bad time. Being trained by a man with a colossal grudge who is also part of a violent cult while also being indoctrinated and manipulated by said cult. It could be worse, don't know how, but I guess there could be a lot of rats._

 _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Oh I'm sure I can come up with something to make this whole thing worse. P Give me time, I'm sure I can think of a few things. Seriously though, as we've said before, our views are not in any way, shape, or form, that of our characters. And as such, I have nothing against religion and faith, but if you're to ask me if I believe in anything, I'd be hard pressed to give you an answer. Still, I am well aware the good things religion can do for those that need it, but like anything relating to power and those that wield it, too often it becomes something dark and twisted._

 _On a lighter note, I DO want to give a shout out to a guy by the name of Red, short for_ _ **rednightmare**_ _, and his community for selecting this story to be added to its archives. The community is called_ _ **Spaghetti and Corpses: Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines Fanfic,**_ check it out if you get a chance. _As far as I saw, all of the stories on their list were Vampire the Masquerade related, but there were some pretty good ones I saw listed just from the glances I gave those already present. Anyway, thanks again Red! And thank you everyone else for continuing to support our work and for the faves, follows, and reviews. Take care and good luck in whatever you put your minds to on your side of the world. Adios folks!_

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _At any rate, regardless of our ideas for future chapters I hope you enjoyed this one. While it certainly wasn't as light hearted as the one before, I'd still like to think that it is good in its own way. Because so far it doesn't look like it's gonna get as light hearted as before in the near future. Probably, maybe, we'll see. That said, hope to see you next time. Until then._


	10. Hail Set!

**Author(s) Warning and Opening Notes:** _This chapter does not have a happy ending. Things will start to go back to how they began, on a more, light hearted note, but it's going to be at least a few more before that. But as far as this chapter's concerned, it gets pretty grim._

 **Chapter 10: Hail Set!**

Yes, Hail Set, and all that crap, can we move on now? Please? Thank you. Okay, let's recap. I got myself kidnapped by Taweret, a Setite high priestess in the New York chapter of the Followers of Set, was subsequently starved, and brought back to sanity just so the bitch in question could cast immense doubt and worse on my former allies during this time. Catherine, Sarah, and Samuel all, were now, for all intents and purposes, enemies in my mind, and I was well on my way to being another snakehead, just minus the snake blood that makes true Setites different from the rest of us. And now, having foolishly accepted Taweret's offer to have someone show me just what I was capable of as a Toreador, I found myself in front of Antonio, the same man Catherine had publicly embarrassed via proxy, and to make matters worse, he knew exactly who was responsible and was looking at me with vengeful fury, misplaced as it might have been since I had had nothing to do with his public humiliation. Despite that, it should come as no surprise whatsoever that he took great pleasure in reminding me.

Pain. Often it was the last thing I felt when I went to bed, and the first when I woke up again. He didn't help me, not really. More like he charged at me and beat me senseless, all the while roaring at me to defend myself, with little to no actual instructions. Of course, Taweret stopped him every time she saw him treating me like that, she was my protector after all, a friend, a confidant, whatever I needed her to be as she was to everyone else in the sanctuary. Or at least it seemed that way. It was just another sham in a long line of them, one orchestrated and perfected to the point it might as well have been its own dance routine, but it got the job done.

Despite Antonio's mission to make me break or to 'accidentally' kill me, I actually did improve quite a bit under his heavy handed methods. Anger, as I've said before, is a good catalyst in unlocking our innate abilities, and I learned, on my own no less, how to turn them on and off at will after the umpteenth time of being slammed onto the cold, unforgiving concrete. Celerity made it possible for me to at least put up a good fight eventually against my newest tormentor, even if Antonio was far better in its use, and had far more combat experience in general. And Auspex? Well, while there's little combat use for this particular power, it did reveal quite a bit in terms of my new cult mates anytime I managed to walk out of the gym under my own power once I had started to improve. Seeing people's auras, and learning what the different colors meant, to tell if they were lying, being honest, among other things, made it practically unfair in social situations. And Presence? Well, that was its own can of worms that I learned had its uses in _and_ out of combat.

Although that didn't mean much against some people. I learned the hard way that not everyone was as susceptible to my powers as I was led to believe. Presence is useful against the weak willed, to either draw them in or send them away screaming as I've said before, but it's virtually useless against our own clan, let alone anyone that's older than you are and has had time to master their powers, whatever they might be, or in Taweret's case, to ignore it altogether. And if you're skilled enough in certain magics, like Serpentis or Thaumaturgy, just to name two, you can hide your aura or blindside someone completely by appearing 'invisible' to such a deep, probing scan by someone with Auspex or similar abilities, which Taweret could do, making her true motives impossible to discern.

And when I wasn't being beaten like a cheap training dummy by Antonio, I was being 'educated' in Set's faith and those that followed it. I might not have bought the party line like many of the people already indoctrinated into the faith had, but again, the sense of belonging, the sense that I had a place here, made it hard to argue against their way of thinking. So I kept my mouth shut, even if I did not agree with them, so as not to sow dissent among my peers. Besides, I'll readily admit that they had some compelling arguments.

Snakes are everywhere in ancient religions and myths throughout the world, from your average Christian believers and the Garden of Eden where a snake, supposedly Lucifer although he'll say otherwise with quite a bit of zeal, tempted Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, to Norse myth and folktales about the Midgard serpent. And the Followers of Set have a certain elasticity regarding their faith, allowing them to adapt themselves to whatever area they set up shop in, thus making themselves more appealing, more acceptable to whoever they come across. New York might be a cultural melting pot of every culture, every religion, but they've prepared for that as well, having examples of their supposed history from just as many sources ready to go for those more intelligent, academic minded believers. As for their goal? Well, that's easily answered. They want to bring back their god, Set.

Like so many of the other clans, although those among the Camarilla deny their existence, every clan has a founding father or mother figure after Caine began the curse of vampirism. Antediluvians, these vampire god like figures, according to the Book of Nod, a vampire bible of sorts that contains all kinds of prophecies and other nonsense of the same religious drivel you'd find in your everyday book of faith, are the founders of every clan. From their blood, the clans as we know them today were formed, all the way down the line to what they are now, and should an Antediluvian ever awaken, they'll go about hunting down their children, taking back what they've so wasted and squandered. Set isn't like the other Antediluvians however, or so the Setites would have you believe, in that he doesn't want to end his childers as the other Antediluvians do, or so it says in the Book of Nod, thus bringing about Gehenna, the end of Kindred life as we know it. Set wants to reshape the world in his image, which I guess is just another way to bring about the end of the world as we know it, but he doesn't want to do that through a pile of corpses and ash. He wants the world to be as corrupt and twisted as he is.

Thus therein lies the true problem with Setites. As you've seen with me, they twist and corrupt everything good in the world and turn it to dark purpose, per their god's wishes. As such, most Setites willingly fall into the roles of drug peddlers, brothel owners, gambling and drug den operators, and every other vice you can possibly imagine, they have their claws in. The masters of organized crime, and about the only reason they haven't been wiped out by the other clans is because they're a 'necessary evil', according to most of the other vampires who have most likely asked a favor from a Setite during some point of their immortal lives. A conflict of interest no matter which way you look at it, but it's just another example of how pervasive the Setites are as a whole.

While some Setites willingly fall into the scum of the Earth categories, true Setites are a class above the rest in every way. They hide in plain sight, they spin the webs, building contacts across the social spectrum, and they remember debts owed to them. They are everyone's friend, just as they are everyone's enemy, but to their fellow believers, they are akin to their lost god Set. True Setites are a force of nature all on their own, even 'young' initiates have access to powers that make some of our own abilities seem like cheap parlor tricks by comparison. Taweret was more powerful than most Setites you're likely to come across, even if you don't know you've seen one, and her power wasn't limited to the magic she had in her possession. The blood cult I had become a part of was just one aspect, one face of many, of her influence, and hers alone.

As for me and Antonio, my latest bout of getting my ass kicked ended differently about two weeks into my stay with the Setites. It started out the same way, with me on my back, his foot planted firmly on my throat, even though we didn't need to breathe, but he could still snap my neck and end me. The fact I could see him raging with the decision to do just that was what set me off. Fighting with him before that night had always ended the same way, with him eventually coming out on top, but not before I had made him work for the victory. Today however, seeing the look on his face as he thought, seriously thought of finally putting an end to the charade, was enough to send me over the edge just as he started to raise his foot to bring it crashing down on my throat. Except I was no longer on the floor when he brought it down, cracking the concrete instead of my pretty little neck. When he jerked his gaze to the right, he had all of two seconds to realize I was on my feet, and I was already swinging away for his dumbfounded face.

Celerity and its speed enhancing properties can only get you so far if you can't react in time to an attack, and I had caught Antonio, the artsy fartsy asshole, completely off guard. So for once, it was me on top as he fell to the ground, his jaw shattered from the sheer power behind my swing. I didn't give him time to retaliate as I straddled his waist and hammered him repeatedly across his face. The anger and pain and rage from the past week poured into my strikes, and I wanted Antonio to feel just a shred of what I'd gone through since being 'invited' into the sanctuary. A week of starvation, and now a week of being mercilessly hammered on by this prick would make anyone angry.

Catching an opponent off guard could give the advantage you need to win, even if your opponent is far more experienced. Even when Antonio managed to grab my hand, and pushed me away, he didn't get a chance to get far before I was right back on top of him again. Emotions could be powerful allies in a fight, or your worst enemy if you allowed them to cloud your thoughts and judgement, especially wrath, it's a double-edged sword. Although determination could prove just as deadly if you become too focused on beating your opponent, leaving you open to other sources of attacks. In my case, it came in the form of Taweret freezing us both when she seemed to appear out of thin air, but in reality she had simply hidden herself with Obfuscate, masking her presence completely until we were both in her line of sight. "Now that I've got your attention." She quipped, but there was no amusement in her eyes anymore as she glared dangerously at Antonio. "I expected more from you Antonio. Instead you let your rage at a past slight overrule your better judgment, against the wrong person no less." When she tapped at her right ear, and whispered a word in a language I had never heard before, Antonio paled, as much as he was able, and put a hand to his chest.

What happened next was….not pretty. He melted away, I mean that literally. Antonio's chest started to sizzle and give off smoke as whoever had been on the other end of Taweret's call followed through with her order, and Antonio burst into a pile of ash from the inside out. It wasn't quick either as I watched, horrified yet unable to look away, even if I had been able to move, as Antonio's pale flesh sizzled and turned to ash which quickly spread to the rest of him, yet not quick enough that he wasn't able to let out a horrified scream that was cut off when his throat turned to ash and smoke before the rest of him followed suit.

Taweret sighed and shook her head in disappointment before turning to me next, and I wondered if whatever she had just had done to him was about to happen to me. Instead she simply patted me on the shoulder, and I found I was able to move again. When I looked up into her face, she looked downright apologetic rather than angry at me, which for some reason made me even more nervous. "I'm sorry you had to witness this Alex, and that I didn't have someone else take charge of your training. I had hoped he'd have learned restraint, to have let go, yet it seems putting you two together was a mistake from the start."

"What… happened to him?" I managed to squeak out, my blue eyes as wide as saucers once more.

"He faced the only suitable punishment for attempting to kill a new member of our family. We Setites care far more about each other than most of those with weaker blood ever could. Attempting to kill someone of your own family… is an unforgivable sin." Huh….right, good to know, but notice she failed to answer my question. But I wasn't about to point that out to her as Taweret started for the door with me following after her. I was too terrified and curious not to follow now. "But to answer your true question, Alex, Antonio thought that by allowing us to remove his heart so he could store it safely away, he'd be the stronger for it, and he was, except he thought we wouldn't be able to find it once he had hidden it away."

"Why did you even look for it?" I asked, managing to calm down somewhat, but I don't think I was fooling anyone.

"Because I was concerned by his attitude, far too much ambition, too little loyalty. I had hoped that he would be able to overcome his flaws, but I was wrong." There might have even been some truth to that, I never did find out, only that I had a much greater, and fearful, respect for what the Setites could do to those around them.

Which naturally led me to ask another question, one I think Taweret expected when I noted the look on her face. "Why in the Hell would someone _allow_ another to remove their heart in the first place?" I asked, although I had already figured out part of the reason. Wouldn't it be a surprise if you tried to stake a vampire, only to find out they don't go down when you know you hit the spot where their heart should have been?

Taweret only smiled and chuckled softly. "We do it out of necessity child. For it makes it far harder to destroy us, and our enemies are so numerous in these times…" She left that sentence hanging, and even though I didn't notice at the time, she made sure to paint the Setites as the desperate but ultimately good guys that were always besieged by the bad, uncomprehending masses. "That and as you know, one of the few sure ways to destroy a Kindred is to stake them through the heart. What good is that if there's no heart to stake in the body of your target? We can still be destroyed by more traditional means, but it takes far more effort, as you are smart enough to figure out." But as Antonio had already figured out the hard way, it was also a nice way to ensure someone was literally able to hold your life in their hands, and in his case, they had decided to end it. It might have been due to his own actions perhaps, but the truth remained the same, and that at least wasn't lost on me. It's also why I didn't feel the need to participate in that particular ritual of theirs. I like my chances exactly as they are, in my own hands, not hanging in the wind for someone to come along and kick around like a football. My luck is bad enough without giving someone access to my heart on top of it.

"Right….well, thanks for making sure I don't sleep for the next month." I retorted, but Taweret only chuckled at my fearful sarcasm as we made our way through the Setite sanctuary.

"I'll not ask if you'd like to undergo the same ritual then." She reassured me, before her amused smile slowly faded and she rubbed a hand across the back of her neck. "I didn't come down to the gym to merely stop Antonio however. I wanted to talk to you, to see how you were adjusting." She began slowly, playing the part of my 'repentant friend' to a tee. And while a part of me still resented her for that whole being trapped in a small room ordeal, and the revelation of my friends being bastards and worse, I had started to see her as someone I could lean on if not outright trust. Part of that might have even been true, but Serpentis shares a few similarities with Presence and Thaumaturgy, meaning she was manipulating me just a little, and I didn't even know it.

So naturally I shrugged and crossed my arms under my chest. "It's a little weird, being in a place like this." I admitted truthfully as I let my blue eyes drift over the hallway, where I could see more of the ever present mosaics and hieroglyphics on the walls that made no sense to me for the most part. "I might still hold a grudge with you kidnapping me, but this place intrigues me, and I'm kinda glad you insisted I talk to the others." And I meant it, because I had learned a great deal regarding my fellow cultists, just as Taweret had known I would. My curiosity was too great for me not to ask questions, in an effort to try and understand these people. I was one of the more academic minded initiates, or whatever they'd call me for having only just become a part of their ranks at least in name if not in spirit, so my questions weren't just tolerated, they were encouraged.

I hadn't even begun to scratch the surface though, and Taweret's approving, knowing smile sent shivers down my spine even if I had no clue as to how far this particular rabbit hole went. "I told you, we keep no secrets from each other here. Many have been through such darkness and hopelessness that their only hope was our guiding hands. Anyone else would have simply left them to die, or continued their torments." And in a way, that was even the truth, except Taweret forgot to mention a crucial detail in her 'comforting' lecture. I'm sure you can figure it out, but the horrible, dark truth of just what these people are will become apparent soon enough. As for not keeping secrets, that itself was a lie. The Setites keep nothing but secrets when it comes to their most sacred lore and history. What I had heard thus far was not even the surface of this particular rabbit hole.

But to get back to my fellow cult mates, Taweret had told me the truth, if only a partial one. Jason, the young man we had ran into on our first visit of only one of the dormitories in this place, had gotten himself into some trouble. The kind of trouble you can't talk about without being locked away in a drug rehab center, or prison, depending on how the trial might have gone for accidentally ODing alongside your girlfriend. The Setites had helped him get past his habit by saving his life, but they'd been too slow to save hers, so they showed him a better way in an effort to fill the void, _their_ way. They had gotten him back on track to becoming a world class lawyer, or so he told me when I questioned him on why he was here. He had spoken with such vigor and gravitas that I hadn't thought to ask anything deeper, such as how he had gotten involved with drugs in the first place, and why he had used them at all. I might have noticed a trend with the other cultists if I had, one that started and ended the same way. As for Jason and his dreams of becoming a lawyer, I'm sure you can put together who he represents. I'll give you a hint, it's not the innocent.

Another story had a girl by the name of Danielle, who had ran away from home from an abusive uncle. Her real parents had died when a train derailed on a business trip, and he was the only one that stepped up to 'take care of her'. She was thirteen when the Setites found her, and she was one of the older, more experienced members of the faith, having been in the temple for five years. She often led the group chants and prayers to Set, and even taught a few lessons on Serpentis, the more basic spells and cantrips, to the younger initiates. She was also a pretty good dancer, and she had aspirations to be a dance instructor. Once more however, the Setites twisted that dream to include more 'private lessons' for a discerning audience with _very_ particular tastes. As a side note, I should have asked what happened to her uncle afterwards. I'll give you three guesses, but you're only going to need one.

Every member of the faith had similar stories, even the newly Embraced member of this particular temple, the green eyed, short haired blonde that I had been introduced to during my first few days in the sanctuary. Daisy, as I'd find out during this time, might have been the slowest to convert and fully dedicate herself to the cause, even after being made a ghoul, but that just showed her promise because only the strongest, the most worthy of the Setites were ever given Set's dark gift of eternal life. Granted, she wouldn't be the only one that would be allowed to cross that final threshold, but out of everyone present, she had proven herself time and time again.

As for her history before the Setites found her, thus starting her corruption, Daisy's was rather mundane except for one little caveat. She had kept her sexuality a secret for most of her life. Sounds familiar huh? When eventually the truth came out, her parents had been furious and had wasted no time in throwing her out of their house. She had been fifteen at the time. To have your world suddenly turned upside down like that would make anyone hateful and full of spite. Even her brother had looked at her with disgust, her best friend in all the world, when the truth came out. Funny thing though, a little while later, Daisy learned that her brother was into other guys, and the Setites had shown her pictures they had managed to _acquire_. Makes you wonder if they hadn't encouraged him in some way, just so they could get the so called evidence in question, or if they had simply spied on him and caught him in the act. Either way, you can imagine Daisy's response when she found out the truth, or at least enough of it to truly go full on dark side of her own volition. The last I heard about her brother, Joseph Williams was still in a coma. They had found a venomous snake in his football jersey, an Egyptian asp to be precise. It's a miracle he's still alive at all.

At the time, I couldn't really blame Daisy for either arranging something so drastic or if she'd done it herself, but now that I know just how dangerous these snakeheads are, I can't believe how anyone could allow the Setites to exist. These days, I take great joy in smashing their faces in, or burning them, or blowing them up wherever I find one. At that time though, I started to consider joining them in every way they wanted. In retrospect, each story I heard I'd later realized was painted in the same way, of the Setites righting wrongs and helping those that the world had failed in so many ways. Even now, when we're starting to truly accept those that are different than ourselves, you can hear stories of hatred and worse happening all the time. And for every story you hear on the news or see plastered all over the internet, there's dozens more you don't. It's little wonder the Setites are still in business, if not growing stronger by the year. We give them all the followers they will ever need.

At the time though I took it at face value, for the most part, and let my arms drop to my side. "Forgive me if I still find it a little hard to believe."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't question." Taweret replied sincerely, or so I still think even to this day. With a Setite though, it's impossible to truly know if they're lying or not. Still, she carried on, her slow, sedate walk through the hall allowing us ample time to talk before we reached wherever she was leading me this time. "As I've said before, you're a strong, independent woman who values her freedom because you've had so little before. That's why I have only shown you the way to true freedom, and I've let you decide whether to proceed further deeper into the Great Mysteries of our faith." Except that was a lie as well, to a point. What I didn't realize at the time was that my little ordeal in that gray room with its giant bed had been the start of what they call the Revelations of the Void. The Revelation I had been forced through was the Revelation of Terror. As the name implies, it's designed to scare someone literally out of their mind, to make them more susceptible to future indoctrination and conversion. And if there's one thing the Setites do better than anyone, it's breaking someone down so they can reshape them as they see fit. They've had thousands of years to master their craft, and while there are only nine Revelations, their 'paths to wisdom', it's all they have ever needed to accomplish their goals in gaining more souls for Set.

But I didn't know that. So I nodded and swung a leg listlessly before me before taking another step forward. "And I appreciate that." And I did, even if I didn't know the true danger right in front of me. "I might not believe, but I can see you're trying to help those that look to you." _Right_. Help is such a relative word when dealing with Setites. "It's kinda hard not to notice the reverent way they carry themselves whenever you're around."

"I simply do only what I was called to do." Taweret replied softly, soothingly, before she put a hand on my shoulder just as the unnatural glow from her eyes faded. Even I think the compassion and sympathy I saw in her eyes was true and real, even if there was a dark, underlying reason behind it, and that she truly believed her own words no less. "It has not always been so easy, to cause those that needed a firmer hand than others to suffer, to endure pain and withdrawal in an effort to make them see clarity and reason once more. They cursed me during such times, were revolted by my mere presence, but every one of them always thanked me after the worst had passed. You haven't yet, but I can tell you're grateful for what I deemed necessary to open your eyes. That is enough for me. But your journey has only just begun, Alex. If you would continue, I would be honored to still be your guide, even if we did start off on a bit of a rough patch."

When taken in that light, Taweret's abduction of my person didn't seem so bad. I still didn't like her for it, but in that moment, I started to wonder if I shouldn't be grateful for her telling me the 'truth' as she had regarding Samuel and the others. She had certainly gotten me to listen once I was able to think clearly again, and she had been there to put me back together, albeit in a slightly off kilter manner than where I'd been originally, although again I didn't know that had been her intention all along. The Revelation of Terror is one of the easiest to accomplish since everyone is afraid of something, even if they themselves don't know it at the time. Taweret had studied me long enough, either personally or through trusted allies, to know what made me tick, and how I had yet to take a life, among other things. So was it any surprise she decided to drive me to mind numbing terror by locking me away and starving me to the point of madness? Not at all.

Still, I stopped and stared long and hard at Taweret as I weighed the choice she had set before me. I had already started to feel wanted here, truly wanted, desired even in some instances, and so far as I could tell, Taweret had been honest with me where everyone else had wanted to use me for one reason or another. Juliet was probably shaking her head at me from the safety of her home when I finally answered the Setite next to me. "I…honestly don't know what I want anymore." I said at last before blowing out a breath. In for a penny and all that. "Even if I did find Eliza's killer, what then? What happens afterwards? I'm still….this." I gestured uselessly at myself, but Taweret understood. "There's no going back for me, and I can't ask Eliza why she did this to me because she's gone. Hell, I wouldn't even be out here if not for my mother."

Bad move on my part, mentioning my mother, because Taweret's interest was immediately piqued. So when she naturally asked, wanting to hear the story from my own mouth, I told her in my usual ranting and raving way that I tend to do when I'm upset or excited about something. Again, Serpentis and Presence aren't so different from each other, and I was under her influence, but I didn't need a lot of incentive to spill my guts. I had told Samuel and Catherine most of the story, what was one more person?

By the time I was done, Taweret shook her head in dismay before she did something I wasn't expecting. She showed me her human face, the one she had been born with before being brought into the Followers of Set's ranks. The slightest tingle in the air I had been sensing in her presence also faded about the same time as she dropped her Obfuscate completely. The snake like qualities to her face also disappeared, revealing her dark skinned, round visage with her blue glazed, brown eyes in all of their natural beauty. The reason why became apparent when she pulled down the right side of her ceremonial robes and revealed horrendous looking scars along her shoulder blades. "As I've said before, you have not known pain." She offered in way of explanation before pulling the clothing back over the old marks on her flesh. "I was a slave, from another age, another time, and my mistress was a cruel, sadistic woman. The Setites found me as they find so many, and set me free, but Set's gifts are not without pain and agony of their own as you've begun to learn yourself, but nothing worth doing is ever without tribulations. I did not bend however, just as Daisy has not bent, as so many of us tend to do before finding true enlightenment." Toreader master level manipulator for the win here folks.

Something in her voice and that poignant glimpse of her past without her magical illusions in place struck a chord, and I couldn't help but wonder just what else she had to show me, what else she wanted me to see and experience. Damn my curiosity, but I _needed_ to know, and Taweret knew it. She hadn't lied to me yet after all. Note the sarcasm in my voice, and while this much at least was the truth regarding Taweret's scars and who had given them to her, remember what I've said before. The best lies have at least a shred of truth to them, just as every fictional story has the same within them.

So I did the only thing I could think of after that heartfelt admission. I don't think I need to tell you what came next, but I'll do it anyway. "What would you ask of me, Taweret?" I asked, not realizing the massive mistake I had just made as Taweret's human face pulled itself up into an all too eerie smile.

"I would ask that you give our ways a true, honest chance, Alex." She replied, making it sound so simple, yet it wasn't. I had no idea what I had just signed up for, but I was going to find out, whether I liked it or not, now that I had committed myself to the path Taweret had put in front of me. But she sweetened the deal, in typical Setite fashion. She offered me something more than knowledge, more than learning how to protect myself, or more than their twisted form of belonging. "If I feel you are making an honest effort to understand us, by following our ways through actions and not just words, I will give you what you truly want. I will give you Eliza's killer. But more importantly, I will do my best to bring you peace." How could I refuse _that_ offer? Answer, I couldn't.

So, what happened next? What do you expect happened? I went through the rituals and lessons with an open mind, but more importantly, a hesitant but open heart as well. Eventually something began to change, it started to make sense, as much sense as the Setites are capable of making their dark faith anyway. And if everything before this hasn't already told you just how debauched and depraved these people are, then what happened a couple weeks after that fateful conversation with Taweret will hopefully convince you. If not, then you're utterly hopeless and deserving of whatever life throws your way.

Another of their Revelations is called the Revelation of Wrath. Take a guess what it involves. Go on, guess. If the name doesn't give it away, then let me spell it out for you. Just like Terror, Wrath is designed to draw out the initiate's passionate, cold fury to the point they lose all sense of self, not unlike the Beast taking hold of a vampire's mind until they're safe and sound at the very least. This murderous, all encompassing rage, while short and directed upon a specific person, often the Setite in question, is just another way the Setite can break down inhibitions, morality, and social restrictions placed upon the person since the day they could reason in order to reveal the soul of the initiate, so that they can shape it as they see fit. Each Revelation after the first just makes it easier to achieve their ultimate objective.

But my night started off as any other. While I was one of the few vampires that wasn't completely devout or anything along those lines, I had done my best to keep up my promise to Taweret. By then her praise had started to mean something to me, and I could tell she was happy with what I had been doing, limited and hesitant as it remained at the time, when I met up with her that night.

Most nights started with prayers to Set, a small sacrifice of beer and blood on his altar. Sometimes they ask the initiates to drink the offering from a specially ordained bowl. From there Taweret's temple was ran more like a twisted sorority or fraternity devoted to worship and study. "Classes' ran all night. Assignments and errands were doled out, and they were expected to be finished, no excuses. The academia side I handled quite well. I found I had a natural affinity for the ancient languages and texts needed to even read the liturgies, fables, and tales often told in every temple. All in all, there was nothing too out there that I came across during my days of 'study', but then again, I was a 'first year' initiate, so I hadn't seen anything that would make me run away screaming, beyond the Revelation of Terror I had already gone through without being aware of it. If I had known about the blood orgies that took place on their lesser holy days, where the cultists, vampire and ghoul alike, engage in ritualistic sex of the worst kind, I would have packed up and ran fast enough to leave a dozen speed mirages in my wake. But I was still too new for such knowledge, and the Setites just love to drag out the intrigue and mystery for as long as possible, yet another way they keep their followers on a short leash until it's too late for them to go back to who they were, if there's even a shadow of themselves to go back to by that point.

In any event, Taweret had asked for me, and I wasn't about to disappoint her now. It took a little bit to find her, since the underground temple was bigger than I realized, but one of the others was nice enough to point me in the right direction. As depraved and debauched as these people are, some are still some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Just don't take anything they say or offer you at face value, ever, but that should go without saying by now.

I had never been in her private quarters until that night, but rumors abounded among the other cultists that Taweret often times took new initiates into her bed. Whether that was true or not I couldn't say, but while I still wasn't ready to engage in anything of the sort, a part of me wondered what it might be like to engage in the horizontal tango with the Setite. Scars or not, snake faced or not, Taweret was still a beautiful woman. That and I had an….unhealthy curiosity regarding her more…. animalistic qualities, mainly her snake like tongue and certain parts of my anatomy….

'Ahem', moving on. She didn't want anything of the sort, that night, but what she _did_ want was something I had no idea I'd be giving up until it was far too late to back down. Gingerly stepping into her room, kinda hard to miss given the intricate carvings of Set in all of his glory carved into the gold door, I took a moment to look around her chambers. Some Setites live simply, and while they accumulate wealth, they use it to further their goals before spending any of it on themselves or their havens, but some prefer to lavish themselves and their temples, purchased with their ill gotten gains. Taweret fell comfortably in the middle.

The temple was fully equipped to cater to their human and vampiric members. Dormitories, a fully staffed kitchen and larder for the humans, and a fully stuffed fridge full of blood bags for those emergency situations, but the latter was rarely used since it was encouraged that the vamps feed on their human followers. An infirmary, a fully stocked armory, and a large sacred library that only high ranking members of the cult, like Daisy and Taweret, were allowed to enter, and none of the materials within were allowed to leave. You read what you pick up with the watchful eyes of a librarian priest over your shoulder the entire time. As I said before, Setites love their secrets, both hoarding them and using them. Beyond that, most temples are the same since worship to Set is first and foremost, and the reason they even bother to set up shop in the first place, so obviously they center their temples around that simple necessity. The rest is just artifice the ones in charge deem necessary depending on how far they want to extend their reach, and the kind of following they wish to cater and be catered to.

So naturally, Taweret, being the 'nurturing' woman that she was, had set her chambers accordingly to lull a visitor into a false sense of security. Hers was catered to comfort and safety, of familiarity. While there were still artifacts from Egypt and elsewhere on prominent display, they were placed between the only computer terminal I'd seen, as well as a flat screen TV against one wall with all the trappings. Stereo, Blu-ray DVD player, speakers hanging on the walls, the whole nine yards. A similar, four poster canopy bed, draped with gold, sheer silk curtains instead of white, the frame engraved with hieroglyphics, had its own place in a room of its own, separate from the living space Taweret had situated for herself. The mirror hanging from the ceiling however, was odd, but I had a pretty idea why it was there. The rumors of Taweret taking initiates to her bed were starting to cement themselves in fact.

While nothing was truly expensive, it wasn't exactly cheap either. It was just another trap, another illusion, another mask, just one that most people were familiar with given the simple fact the rooms Taweret kept for herself were nothing like the rest of the temple, save for the artifacts from a time long forgotten by most, and the concrete walls on every side. In this case, it was all meant to make Taweret appear human and mundane to an extent, thus making it easier for her to extract useful information from those like me.

I found her just finishing up a Skype call with a Nosferatu, before she quickly deactivated her computer and turned in her high back, yellow silk covered, black leather chair and offer me a beaming smile. "Alex, I'm glad you're as punctual as ever."

"You asked for me, kinda hard to refuse you Priestess Taweret." Yeah….say it, I wasn't just drinking the koolaid anymore, I was guzzling it down.

As usual though, my quip had an amused smirk tugging at Taweret's lips as she stood gracefully from her chair. "You no longer flinch when addressing me with my title. That's good." She noted, although I hadn't noticed at the time. She did notice however, and her praise, as innocent as it was at that moment, still made me smile a little since as I've said before, her genuine praise or what I took as such, had started to matter to me. Before I could say anything, she had since closed the distance between us and put a finger to my lips. "I know what you would say, but you don't have to. Besides, you've come to me often, the fact you trust me at all is thanks enough." More fool was I for ever believing I could trust anything she said, but I only nodded once her finger was removed from my mouth. Once she was sure I was listening, Taweret gently pushed me to her chair and turned it so I was facing her computer. Leaning over me, I saw something….strange in her hazel eyes with their blue tint. The smell of some exotic perfume filled my nostrils that immediately had me thinking of….nevermind.

She noticed the slight lust filled haze in my blue eyes though and only smirked knowingly. "It's been awhile hasn't it, since you've satisfied your desires? Maybe later, we can….see about helping you with that." I gulped but tried to act like I hadn't heard her, or that I had misunderstood. Either way, Taweret let the matter drop, but the knowing smirk never left her lips as she continued to type away at her keyboard before she pulled up a live feed of a….metal container? I blinked and looked inquisitively up at Taweret's dark face, and she only smiled a little wider. "Shall we see what's in the box?" She asked, that husky, quiet tremor in her voice doing all kinds of things I shan't be going into detail here as I only nodded dumbly.

I will say this, there's a Revelation of Ecstasy and leave it at that, for now. Naturally, Taweret would have been all too happy to show me the way if I but asked, but let's get through this part first shall we? _Then_ I might entertain your perverted fantasies about what might or might not have happened between us later. I will end this little rant however and say that for Setites, ecstasy doesn't automatically translate to pleasure. They use the Revelation as an excuse to inflict extreme sensations of _their_ choice, a single, extreme sensation powerful enough to induce a trance and have the initiate experience visions of incredible intensity. So for all you know Taweret planned to slowly pull my limbs off one by one in an effort to induce said trance through unimaginable agony. It would be appropriately Set like, after all.

Anyway, I followed after Taweret, and as I did, I couldn't help but notice an almost eager spring in her step. There was something going on here, and I had since noticed that whenever she was unusually happy or very disappointed, it was usually a good idea to begin to worry for your continued safety, or sanity. Antonio's death was still fresh in my mind despite the two weeks between then and now, but my overactive imagination just wouldn't let me concentrate on where we were going. Thankfully I was able to distract myself with the….exotic view right in front of me as Taweret's heart shaped derriere swayed to and fro with every step. The smirk she shot over her shoulder said she knew I was looking, and once more I cleared my throat and coughed as I looked away in shame for staring like a drooling, pubescent teenager. "You needn't feel ashamed in taking pleasure from what you see, Alex." She chastised me gently, but otherwise remained silent until we reached our destination.

"Right, sorry Priestess Taweret." I apologized quickly, but Taweret only chuckled and shook her head in response as I saw we were heading for the stairs leading to a floor I hadn't seen since my arrival here.

I glanced at Taweret, silently asking where we were going. "You'll see. You'll enjoy this." Was all she'd say on the matter. Setites and their secrets, that's all I'll say about it. Annoying to someone like me, but practical from their standpoint, although I still wonder if Taweret just took pleasure from my continued frustration. It wouldn't surprise me, with what I know now.

As for _enjoying_ what was coming, that depends on one's perspective doesn't it? Whatever the case, it wasn't long before we came to another grand hall in the upper wings of the temple, which in turn led into a storage warehouse which, naturally, the Setites owned. It was just one of countless 'legitimate' business fronts they had to their name. As for where she was taking me, it was hard not to notice where we were going because there was only one light on in the warehouse, and the bulb was shining on the metal container Taweret had shown me on her computer. In hindsight, the fact the rest of the warehouse and the metallic containers on every side were shrouded in darkness isn't lost on me now, but at the time, all I could focus on was the box, and the faint heartbeat I could hear at this distance. Whoever was inside the box was human.

The short, rapid breaths came next as we soon found ourselves in front of the gunmetal gray box. Beyond a shipping number or whatever it was called, there was no easily seen identifying marks, no way, for me at least, to tell where it'd come from or where it had been. Not that I looked very hard either, too focused on whoever was inside to care about such things, but it's still worth mentioning. Taweret's expectant gaze made me realize I was staring, and I shook my head and braced myself for whatever she had 'gifted' to me.

The lock was easily broken, freeing up the bar that went across the doors of the container which was just as easily moved out of the way. Taking a breath I didn't need, technically speaking, I pulled the left hand door out of the way. What I saw inside would have stopped my heart if it hadn't already ceased to function. Tied to a simple metal, folding chair, the woman looked up at me and Taweret with such loathing and hatred in her blue eyes that for a brief moment I thought she was about to go all heat vision on us both, but it passed just as quickly. That wasn't what had me frozen in place though. I recognized the face and the eyes all too easily, even if most of the older woman's face was obscured by her unkempt brunette locks that had streaks of gray throughout the otherwise abundant strands. The cloth gag in her mouth did little to stop the muffled string of curses she had started to spit in our direction. No surprise, my mother had always been spiteful and full of hellfire and awe inspiring terror for anyone that pushed her too far. Where do you think I got my temper from in the first place?

And yes, remember I said I shouldn't have told Taweret the story about why I was in New York in the first place? I was starting to understand just how long the Setites' reach was as I jerked my head to and fro, never lingering on one or the other for more than a few seconds before I finally settled on Taweret. She wasn't at all surprised by my abject shock as she walked up to the chair and leaned down so they were eye to eye. "Hello Mrs. Watson." She began politely enough, but I didn't need to see the malicious grin on her face to know it was there as the Setite stood straight once more. "I've heard a great deal about you from someone you know well. I'm finding it hard to imagine someone so hateful such as yourself could make someone so beautiful."

On that we could agree on completely, but I was still trying to process the fact Taweret had dragged my _mother_ into this. But my mental paralysis came to a crashing end when she not only stepped to the side, but removed the gag, which I saw, was a pair of my mother's own military issue tighty whities. I say military issue, but my point being was that they were utterly drab and meant to do only one job, and the fact they had been used to gag her was just a massive insult to her considerably sized ego. But all that passed through my frantic thoughts at warp speed, and as soon as she had gotten the taste of old cotton out of her mouth, Maribelle Aimsworth Watson turned her cold, blue eyed gaze on me, and for a moment, just a moment, I saw something other than the monster I had grown up with. But it was gone just as quickly and the spiteful, hateful woman that saw nothing but sin and worse everywhere she turned had made a comeback. "Just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower Alex. Now you resort to this?! Kidnapping your own mother?! What kind of sick game are you playing this time?"

Whatever fear, shock, or otherwise incapacitating emotion had been rooting me to the spot evaporated long before she had finished her rant. All I felt then was an all too familiar anger as I closed the distance between us far quicker than I had meant to, but I didn't care at that moment. Maribelle leaned back, her sunday, prim and proper attire crinkling a bit more as she recoiled at what she likely tried to rationalize as a trick of the light. Taweret had since left the container, but she was close at hand, playing the part of silent, 'morale' support to me, and unbeknownst to either of us, using a combination of Presence and Serpentis to rile us up just by being close at hand. While purposely inflaming our passions might have been considered underhanded, nothing is forbidden by the Setites if it gets the job done when it comes to converting potential souls to their cause. And this was her idea of orchestrating a Revelation of Wrath, by pitting mother against daughter.

I think now's a good a time as any to point out how Taweret's different from your average Setite. While she was still very much in the business of getting people to for all intents and purposes, sell their souls to Set, and become willing participants to their debauched religion, she does so differently than most. Normally, after a Revelation of Terror, the hopeful initiate is immediately comforted and guided out of whatever experience they had been forced to endure, and put in front of a statue of Set just as awareness comes back, thus making them forge a connection between themselves and this powerful god figure, which can be built upon rather easily. This can lead to problems however, if the initiate figures out it was the Setite that put the situation together in the first place. Taweret however, was more honest about her goals, to an extent. It was better, in her twisted logic, to beg forgiveness after the fact, than ask permission, playing the part of harsh but loving cult mother, of sorts. She doesn't bring Set into the picture like most Setites would, and while she doesn't make it a secret she's part of said following, she allows everyone to decide if they wish to go deeper, and _very_ few people refuse her. Like me, most want to understand why someone would do something like that, and by the time they figure out what's really going on, they no longer care enough to turn away. Taweret worked in stages rather than going for the goal in one shot.

The worst part? It was working, and she didn't have to do anything here except stand and watch as we did the rest during this latest Revelation. As for her using a bit of her magic to help things along, she didn't have to do much on that front either because I had plenty of anger already clouding my mind and drowning out my better judgment. "What kind of _game_?! The only _game_ I ever played was trying to get away from you!" I remember shouting back. My mother scoffed and tried to sit up as straight in her chair as possible, no doubt in an effort to try and intimidate me, but that wasn't going to work anymore. "For years, _years_ , you have terrorized me, degraded me, and done everything in your power to make me a drooling lunatic like you!"

"A drooling _lunatic_?!" She had the gall to sound affronted by the idea she was the insane one, even though she very much was insane. "I'm a woman of _faith_ , Alexandria Watson! You would dare-"

"Yes I would dare!" I roared, having gone through this particular routine before, but we had _never_ been this upset with each other. The last time we had talked for any length of time had been before I had left for New York. I'm sure I don't have to explain the rest. "I would dare because I wanted nothing to do with your _god_ , mother! No _god_ is worth following if they're sadistic fucktards like the one you worship and love more than your family!" Ironic choice of words given the situation here, wouldn't you say?

"Blasphemous _whore_!" She roared right back, and struggled against her bonds with such strength that, for a moment, I thought she'd break free, but no such luck. I'd have loved it if she had because it would have been enough of an invitation to snap her neck like a twig. When it became apparent she wasn't going anywhere though, Maribelle resorted to glaring up into my face with every bit of righteous fury she could muster. Even though I was so much stronger and faster than her in so many ways, I still remember taking half a step back. You would too if you had seen the look on her face that twisted and contorted her visage into something almost inhuman. "It's bad enough you gallivanted about with that...that pale skinned _bitch_ , you take the Lord's name and desecrate it with your every breath?! You're just like your father."

"At least he actually _raised_ me. What did you do exactly?" I challenged, and I vaguely remember curling and uncurling my fingers several times, more because of what she had said about Eliza than my dad, but that hadn't helped anything. I was fighting the powerful urge to wrap my hands around her throat even if she _was_ bound to the chair. I needed no help from my inner Beast, all of my rage and pain was one hundred percent my own, even if it was being encouraged by Taweret. "You were at every bullshit Sunday mass, every revival and church social you could find when you weren't working. When you weren't around, I was happy! _Happy_! No one should be happy when one of their parents aren't around. Because whenever you _were_ home, it was the same bullshit lectures, the same bullshit prayers at the table-"

"I had hoped you'd have learned something from all that I did!" She yelled back.

"Oh I learned something alright! I learned to hate _you_ and the _god_ you preached of at every opportunity! And then when dad died-" I don't know what stopped me, but I bit back whatever heated response I had been prepared to let fly and instead turned away at last even as I remained rooted to the spot in front of my mother. My voice dropped several octaves at the same time, but my words were still loud enough to be heard by both her and Taweret. "When dad died, it was the worst day of my life, yet you didn't seem to care. You just continued on. Hell, if anything, I think you were overjoyed he hit that telephone pole."

"We might have had our differences, but I loved your father. But he made it impossible because he didn't believe anymore than you did." Maribelle replied just as softly, her contorted, hate filled face softening before her fury returned tenfold. "Don't ever say I was glad he was gone! Because he didn't believe, he's likely burning in Hell just as you'll burn if you don't change and quick!"

"And here we go again! Why can't we ever have one normal conversation?!" I threw my hands into the air and turned away from her.

"What's there to talk about, Alexandria? You would rather lay with whores than save your own soul from eternal damnation. That bitch you were all too happy to plaster all over your Facebook page has corrupted you beyond any hope of redemption." Yes, I still have a Facebook page, and no, I didn't take that insult lying down. Not by a long shot.

The moment the words left her mouth, I had since spun back around and was once more staring my mother in the face in the span of a heartbeat. "Don't you _dare_ call Eliza that again." I hissed, and bared my fangs for good measure. She didn't seem to notice though, much to Taweret's mild surprise I imagine because Maribelle only met my infuriated blue eyed death glare with one of her own. Let me go on record and say that when two equally strong willed southern women are pitted against each other, nothing good can come out of it. "I loved her, she was the best thing that happened to me since dad died, so you don't ever, call her a bitch, or whore, or anything else. In fact, don't talk about her at all, _mother_." I spat out.

"So where is she?" Mirabelle asked, calm and smooth as you please.

"She's dead. She was murdered." I growled out between clenched teeth. My warning had apparently fallen on deaf ears.

"Good." It was the last thing she ever said as a cold, satisfied smirk appeared on my mother's face.

I think it goes without saying that even if Mirabelle had been untied from that chair, and had been in top physical condition, she still wouldn't have had a chance against me. Regardless, when she had uttered that single, contempt yet satisfied sounding word, something inside me snapped, and the next thing I know, my hand had since found its way into her chest. I vaguely remember her letting out a gurgled, strained gasp as my fingers wrapped around her twisted little black heart and turned it into pulp before I ripped my hand free of the gaping, bloody hole that ran red with bits of gore, bone, and her life's blood. When the reality of what I'd just done hit me like a semi however, I took one look at my hand and what I had just done to my own mother and fell to my butt, my legs giving out as the sheer horror of what I had just done drained the strength from my limbs.

Two things hit me at once. The first was the fact the Beast hadn't acted at all in that moment, which meant that the murder of my mother had been by my own hand, and number two….and it pains and shames me to say this at all, but a dark, primal part of my very soul had enjoyed crushing the life out of her as I had. Don't let anyone tell you differently, but we're flawed creatures from the day we're born until the day we die, no matter how we try to delude ourselves into thinking otherwise. It's little wonder the Setites are so successful in corrupting so many even if their targets have a picture perfect life. But as you just saw, my life had been anything but perfect, and Taweret was the best at what she did because she played a longer game than most of her brethren. So naturally, Taweret was there to guide me deeper into Set's dark embrace, which she did as she had post Revelation of Terror.

She wrapped her arms around me and let me shed my tears, all the while humming one of the more musical prayers to Set. That is how she got me at last. Instead of showing me an image of the dark god or anything of the sort, which wouldn't have worked on me due to my understandable loathing of anything that even hinted at shoving faith down my throat, she started to put me back together with a faux facsimile of the love I had never received from my flesh and blood mother. All the while her whispered humming filled my ears and found a new home in my destroyed soul, destroyed by my own hands no less. Say what you want about the circumstances that put me in that situation, but it still came down to me and my choices.

Eventually, I couldn't tell you how I found it in myself to stand, let alone walk, but eventually Taweret got me moving back into the temple. No one said a word, but I'm sure those we passed knew what I had just gone through, and gave me the space I needed as we shuffled past. She took me to her personal bathroom. Once again she disrobed me, cleaned me up from top to bottom with the tenderness of a mother taking care of her child, and dried me off before she took me to her bed. She held me throughout the rest of the night and the next as I shed my tears and every raw, painful emotion over the course of the next two days. I remember sleeping, but I did little else, save to listen to Taweret hum one tune or another and the feel of her arms around me. In those two days I also screamed and battled her at some point, but Taweret weathered the storm with patience and understanding, albeit in her twisted version of it anyway. She whispered soothing words when she wasn't humming, and eventually I started to return from whatever place my mind had disappeared to, but at the same time I wasn't 'me' anymore.

I do remember one thing clearly however. I remember looking up into that mirror above Taweret's gold silk covered bed, and I remember seeing an empty, hollow blue eyed woman staring back at me. What? You thought that mirror was just for the erotic, entertainment value? Nope. While that might have been its original intent, like everything with the Setites, there was always more than what appeared on the surface. Taweret knew what she was doing better than most, and every initiate she had converted to the worship of Set had likely seen the same thing after one of their own Revelations that had ended similarly to how mine had. There was nothing of my old self there anymore. Terror had cracked my identity, but Wrath destroyed it. As I've said before, Toreadors are their own worst enemies, and Taweret had figured out just what buttons to push. And while I could blame the cursed blood in my veins, or Taweret, or any number of mitigating factors, the choice was still mine. I could have just as easily as walked away, but I didn't, so the consequences of my actions, guided as they might have been, are still mine no matter how you try to look at it.

When I had regained a shred of my composure, a shred of my former self, Taweret was there. She said nothing as she wiped my face clean and kissed my forehead before gently pulling me to her personal shrine in her chambers. I wish I could say I snapped out of my delirium and bashed her fucking face in for what she had wrought, but that'd be untrue. I wish I could say I came to the realization that she had manipulated me, had used my weaknesses against me, and she would continue to use me until the end of time, but that'd be a lie. Instead, when she began that night's prayer to Set, I joined her on the floor before the altar in her bedchambers. There was no more hesitation, no more doubt, fear, or hatred for the god, as I had bore for my mother and her own false god. I had turned away from the light, and there was no turning back, not after what I had done.

So when the prayer came to its customary end, I think I managed the smallest of smiles when I met Taweret's gaze right before two little words left my mouth, but their significance isn't lost on me now. Take a guess as to what they were. As for my guide and friend, the one that had seen me go through this journey, whatever was left of my old self might have balked by the very satisfied gleam in the Setite's glowing eyes. Instead I felt….happy, comforted, loved, wanted. Everything I had ever looked for was right here with Taweret and her 'family'.

In short, I felt like I had come home.

 **End Notes:** _**Vergil1989**_ _: I'll come right out and say that this chapter made me feel pretty dirty and unclean, doing what we wrote here, but at the same time it was a necessary evil because there was no easy or other alternative to get our point across. As stated in the opening notes, things will get better, but for a few chapters yet, we'll get to see Setite Alexandria and her new 'family' as they move against the Camarilla, the Sabbat, the Anarchs, and anyone else that stands against them, most likely in that order since out of all the enemies the Followers have, it's the Camarilla that gives them the most trouble._

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _I cannot say that I enjoyed putting Alex through that, for a person's mind should be left alone in my opinion. But at the same time we have to make sure that we don't change the universe we are writing about in such a way that it doesn't resemble the original anymore. The Setites don't share our concerns, so in order to accurately picture them we had to go rather dark. That said I think we did an adequate job of writing psychotic fanatic vampires. Hope to see you next time, until then._

 _ **Vergil1989**_ _: It was a first for me, I'll say that. Oddly enough, I found it rather easy to channel some of my personal past RL issues with my lunatic dad into getting the tone down for this chapter. Write what you know and all that as they say, and while he wasn't a religious nut or anything like that, let's just say he didn't make life easy for anyone and leave it at that. Needless to say, we're a lot happier that he's no longer able to harass my mother and my two brothers anymore, at least for now. But that aside, I'll just close in saying that while the truly dark stuff is mostly behind us, Alex is now officially Setite in all but blood, so don't expect a happy ending for a while yet. Besides, this is the World of Darkness, happy is a relative term. : P_

 _In all seriousness though folks, thanks for your continued support, and we'll see you soon. Peace!_


	11. Viper Dance

**Chapter 11: Viper Dance**

In retrospect, I have to say that I still can't believe just how easily they managed to draw me to their side. Oh I'm fully aware that that's what they are good at, and it wasn't as easy as it may seem, but still, I feel like I was far too eager to accept their teachings. Although my friends tell me time and time again that this is just my guilt speaking, and in a way they aren't wrong, but at the same time, nothing's ever that simple.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, for my time with the Setites was far from over. In the days following my mother's…. death, I found myself always close to Taweret. At that time I thought it was to make sure that I was alright, and perhaps that was even partly true, but now I know it was just to keep an eye on me and to make sure that I, I suppose you could say, bonded with her, in an effort to ensure my continued loyalty. As I've said before in one way or the other, Taweret was far more dangerous than your average Setite. Even the elders of her clan would have been envious of her abilities to sway so many to their cause. As for being close at hand, I wasn't about to complain even though the two Revelation she had already put me through were only the beginning if she had had her say in the matter. The rest would have simply cemented the work she had started, ensuring my loyalties and love of our, currently, shared god would remain eternal.

But that was still a ways off, and there were other ways to get the same result that didn't require another shock to the system. Since my arrival, I hadn't gone outside of the temple, and since the Setites are such public figures, no matter what role they choose to fall into, they have to be seen and needed by those that owe them a debt, or for those people they have yet to entangle in their long webs of connections and contacts, either through favors willingly given, or forcibly taken through blackmail, extortion, or worse.

Of course, given the fact that I had been kidnapped I couldn't simply walk around New York. It wouldn't take the Nosferatu long to find me if I did, save for the Nosferatu that was already in Taweret's pocket of course. And once they knew, my so called friends wouldn't have been far behind, nor the hated Camarilla. But luckily for me, there were ways around that. Obfuscate for one, once some skill has been learned in its use, can be used to disguise a person from view from almost any detection method, and the common eye of both mortal and vampire alike can be blinded to your presence altogether. But there was a far simpler method than magical concealment. A new look was in order to go with the new self image. Ironically such mundane tools could prove to be far more reliable than any magic. For some, especially those with great strength of will and powers of perception, both natural and magically assisted, can pierce any illusion if they wish to, and while Taweret had already proven capable in Obfuscate, it had taken her years of study to master it. I didn't have years to learn a trick outside of my clan's natural wheelhouse, so we went with the next best thing.

While I was a little irritated I'd have to chop off my long brown hair that I had an irrational attachment to, call me weird but I liked my hair long, I went along with it once Taweret talked me into it. That and as I think you've likely figured out by now, I have a thing with having my hair played with. So a couple nights after I had recovered from this latest shock, which had gotten Taweret a new 'sister in arms', I was situated in front of her vanity as she went about giving me a new look to go with my mockery of spiritual rebirth.

"Dyed too?" I asked, sounding more like a petulant child when I saw the bottle of hair dye she had dug out from somewhere.

Taweret only chuckled endearingly and nodded in response as she started cutting away at my hair. "Yes, dyed too. Call me strange but I think you'd look ravishing as a redhead." Quick sidenote, Set's supposedly a redhead. You do the math. But even if her choice of color was guided by her choice of religion, I'll admit I kept the color for the longest time after everything was said and done because, well, she was right. I did look pretty good as a redhead as I'd find out that night. "Given the right garb, you should be all but utterly unrecognizable, even to those who once knew you."

"If you say so." I grumbled, but remained perfectly still as the snip of her scissors continued. As much as I might have been annoyed by losing my hair however, the feel of the comb and the scissors running through my long locks was enough to make me relax. Again I say, I have a hair fixation, don't ask me where it came from though because I couldn't begin to tell you. Whatever the case, my annoyance over the whole thing slowly drifted away as Taweret's skilled fingers did the rest once she had cut away what she deemed necessary. No longer hanging down to the middle of my back, my hair's length was now short enough to reveal my pretty pale neck and shoulders. Even without the hair dye, I already hardly recognized myself, so I couldn't imagine what anyone else would think when they saw me.

"I'm sorry that we had to keep you cooped up for so long, but I was simply too worried about you." Taweret assured me as a sympathetic smile appeared on her dark skinned face. "Don't worry, in time your hair will regrow, and time is one thing we have an eternity of." Why practically everyone I met felt the need to point out that I was immortal now was beyond me because I was well aware of the fact, even without someone telling me so every few minutes, or at least that's what it felt like.

"At least you're letting me out of the house at all, right?" I quipped, my sarcasm having returned to me at some point, and as always, Taweret chuckled at my witty if dry banter. "I guess I'll be thankful for that, even if you are being just a _little_ overprotective."

"Only for your own good." She teased, although she was also being serious at the same time. Looking back, I have to say that I truly believed that she only had my best interests in mind, and in her mind, it might even have been partly true. I know, I know, I was a moron, but hey, everyone does something stupid once in awhile. Granted, most people don't join up with a group of religious nutjubs, but you gotta give me points for originality right? That said, I would still like to travel back in time and tell my past self to stop screwing around and run, run your ass off and get as far away from her snakeliness as possible. So far I haven't found a means to do that though. I'm still hopeful I will, one day, but for now I have to live with my stupidity.

But getting back on track, I sighed and rolled my eyes in response to Taweret's response, which she naturally saw in the mirror's reflection as she led the way to the bathroom so we could get the hair dye prepared and applied now that she had finished cutting the rest. "I could always keep you here you know, if you wish to keep giving me lip." The way she said that wasn't entirely innocent, more like a badly disguised innuendo that I picked right up on. So naturally I did my best to blush and shift my eyes away from the mischievous grin on Taweret's face, but they didn't move quite as far as they might have before. Something else I can thank her for, sex and all of its variations, verbally spoken or otherwise, doesn't make me blush or squirm uncomfortably anymore. Something else they encourage is the embracing of new desires, regardless of how dark they happen to be, regardless of how depraved those desires might be. I'll spare you the more disgusting things they've encouraged and just say that they fully exploit someone's need for their drug of choice and leave it at that. That's just one example of a Revelation of Desire, and unlike the rest of them, Desire can be drawn out for quite a long time as the initiate is encouraged to dive so deep into their own dark, forbidden desires that eventually they can't deny their enjoyment without sounding the part of hypocrite. Once that's been done, well, I'm sure you can figure out the rest at this point.

As another quick side note though, while they had locked me up, they wouldn't have done so indefinitely. It would have been a waste of resources and furthermore, I could do more for them out on the streets, which was what Taweret was preparing me for now. It didn't take long to get the dye worked into my hair and a net put over it to keep it contained, but while we waited for the dye to set in, I couldn't help but ask what Taweret wanted me to do first. She waited a moment, in feigned thought, but in reality I once more have to wonder if she didn't draw out the moment on purpose, before finally answering my question. "For now, you're still on the path to enlightenment, but as I've said before, the choice to go further is yours alone Alex. But as for what I wish for you to do once we're done here, nothing you won't be able to handle, I assure you. I simply need you to be seen by the right people, and to make yourself….useful, as all Setites make themselves useful for those that have a need only we can fulfill." Translation, she was pimping me out, but before you jump to conclusions, I wouldn't be required to take my clothes off. I was being sent out to start drawing in more people the Setites could exploit, I mean _help_ , in their unique fashion.

I still gave her a look however that said 'really?', and she shrugged in response. " _You_ wanted to get out, but you didn't specify what you wanted to _do_." She was quick to point out, and I found I couldn't argue against her logic. Which was kind of annoying, discussions are way more fun when they are going your way. But the beaming, glowing eyed grin that appeared on the Setite woman's face did make me hopeful for some reason. "You'll like where I plan for you to go though. Trust me."

It turned out where she wanted me to go was a club the Setites owned, naturally. Of course, it didn't say that on the front door, or anywhere else for that matter, that this was a place owned by snakeheads. You'd never find any businesses they own unless you know where to look, and how to talk to your fellow Setites. They hide their presence well, but if you know the key phrases and passcodes, you can easily find your fellow Setites wherever you go. In this case, the club in question had a boring, almost cartoonish name that was as far removed from their religion and its home of origin as you could get, yet something within the name itself caught my eye. A very subtle, but still visible, little hieroglyphic hidden within the sign's makeup itself, was easy to see now that I knew what to look for. Such markings aren't limited to business signs however. They can be stitched into clothing, hidden in jewelry, you name it. Once spotted, all you need then is the appropriate phrases and you're good to go. Sounds a little like the mythos established in the Blade trilogy doesn't it? All those hidden glyphs and vampire markings in plain sight that only those in the know would recognize? Wonder where the film directors got the idea from.

Unlike the clubs I had been to before, the establishment in question had a quiet, almost somber air about it. A soft piano solo could be heard in the background, and the decor itself spoke of old money and power rather than a place devoted to loud music and drunken revelry. Everything was wood paneled, the floors covered in plush carpeting, the seats were covered in comfortable, pristine leather, and the clientele were well dressed and looked just as wealthy. In short, this was the last kind of place I would have visited before my Embrace. Despite that, I couldn't help but wonder what shady deals went on behind closed doors as I swept my blue eyes over the quaint looking club and the fully stocked bar, attended by a guy in a dark blue suit and tie. I immediately looked away because, while no fault of his own, he reminded me of Samuel, but once I had regained my composure before I could jump the bar and rip his throat out, I was able to look at the hapless, unaware bartender without any trouble.

Deciding to take a deeper look, I activated my Auspex with a mere thought, and suddenly the world looked a lot brighter as auras of various colors and intensity began to emanate around the patrons in the club as I started for the bar. I didn't want to draw attention to myself after all, not that kind of attention at least, and standing in a doorway like a loon would have drawn the wrong kind of attention. By the time I had crossed the two dozen feet between the door and the bar though, I could see, very clearly, that I had turned almost every head in my direction, and the shades of pink as varying degrees of arousal and lust started to filter into the clientele's minds told me everything I needed to know. Taweret was, as usual, right on the money.

A single blink had the crowd returning to their mundane, everyday appearance, but it took some longer than others to look anywhere but in my direction. Not that I could blame them as I caught my reflection in the glass that was put in front of me by the normally reserved and composed barman. My neatly trimmed, newly dyed red hair did quite a bit to show off my considerable assets, despite the lack of a pulse or a healthy skin tone. The neatly tailored, gray top and vest as well as my black business pants completed the image of someone having just finished a long day at the office, yet was just provocative enough to draw the eye. The four gold necklaces around my throat, some of which hung just low enough to teasingly caress the tops of my just exposed breasts, only added to the provocative image Taweret had set. I felt damn good too, despite the recent murder of my own mother, but I had started to not think of that momentous occasion as such. More like I was finally free to do and be who I had always meant to be without her shadow hanging over me any longer.

As for the bartender, the fact he tried to covertly slip his wedding band into his pants pocket I chose not to comment on as he asked what I'd be having. Toreador beauty is a curse in times like this, I swear. But while I could no longer enjoy the finer things in life such as alcohol, or drinks in general, at least not in the way I used to, that didn't mean I couldn't play the part of bored bar patron. So I ordered a simple red wine to 'start' and nodded my thanks as I set my new handbag, a dark green leather affair, plus a new smartphone to replace my old cellphone, one that I no longer had any use for due to obvious reasons, on the bar's oak finished top. Just as I started to draw out my wallet however, the bartender, ever so predictably, said it was on the house. Men. Need I say more? Women are the same way, we just aren't as obvious about it, well, the truly good seductresses aren't at least. The carbon copy, plastic bimbos you see on TV anymore are another story, but we won't talk about _them_ further.

"New to the area?" I looked to my left, and nodded as a smile tugged at my lips when I saw who had sat beside me. It was no one I knew, yet, but when I caught sight of a particular piece of thread on his right cufflink, sewn into his black business suit ever so carefully, I knew I had found a fellow Setite. The snake was hard to miss since he ever so casually picked up a glass of his own just as I did. "I can always tell the new arrivals to our little establishment."

"What gave me away?" I asked, both out of genuine curiosity and as a means to open up a potential inroad so I could use one of the few passphrases Taweret had taught me for my first night out as a fellow woman of the faith.

"Well, I don't think I've seen so many heads turn at once in a long time for starters." The man said as a mischievous gleam filled his gray eyes. "And two, it's not every day such a beautiful rose decides to bloom in this oasis of ours." I don't think I need to tell you what he truly meant at this point. While it sounded like a somewhat unique pickup line on the surface, not a lot of people would allude to the desert in such a manner.

I chuckled though and smiled a little wider as I picked up my glass and gently clinked it against his. "Well, it's not every day you have your eyes opened to what's right in front of you." The subtlest twitch in the man's clean shaven face and the way the bartender nodded ever so slightly told me enough. The phrase I had used told my fellow 'brother' I was still new to their ways, but I was willing to talk business as I ever so casually lowered my hand in such a way that I brushed up against the snake in his cufflink before setting my glass down on the bar. If I hadn't passed their test before, I certainly had after that as both barman and my new friend noted the action but didn't react further.

Well, that's not entirely accurate. The subtlest of knowing looks passed between them before the man took a sip of his drink before following my example of setting his glass down next to mine. "For being new to our humble establishment, you have a deft hand." The well dressed man stated before he introduced himself. "Mark Alistair."

"Cat Grant." What? I'm a nerd remember? Supergirl shouldn't be a surprise on my list of shows I watch religiously, no pun intended. Just because I can quote stuff from Marvel doesn't mean I don't like DC too. As for the false name, one, only an idiot goes to a meeting with Setites using their true identity, and two, I wasn't the same person anymore, so it was only fitting I used a new name. Be it as it may, Mark, if that was even his own real name, I doubt it though since Alistair was the name of a character from Electronic Art's Dragon Age series of video games, took my hand and brought it up to his lips, but didn't quite kiss it, instead choosing to stare into my eyes. It had the same effect despite my preferences, and I couldn't help but chuckle softly as he let my fingers go. "Are you trying to seduce me Mr. Alistair?"

"Is it working?" He asked, all charm and grace as his gray eyes gleamed in delight at the husky tone in my voice. "And it's Mark to you Ms. Grant, my delicate desert rose." The repeated reference to my clan told me he knew exactly what I was, although the fact I hadn't so much as touched my red wine probably gave me away.

Still, as much fun as it might have been to continue our witty banter, I needed to get back on track. "Cat, please, and unfortunately I swing for the other team." He raised an eyebrow at that but accepted the news in stride.

"Oh well, I had to try." He chuckled before finishing his drink and mine in quick order before leaving enough money on the bar to pay for them both. "I wasn't kidding when I said it's not often we get someone like you in here." He replied, relaxed and at ease despite my gentle refusal of his advances. "But we still see enough that we can easily cater to your discriminating tastes." The way he flicked his gaze to the bartender wasn't lost on me, but I had no intention of taking a bite out of him, even if the guy looked almost hopeful when I looked his way for a split second.

"Good to know," and it was good to know that if I needed a _real_ drink, I just had to ask, "but I had hoped to do some business before taking time to play." I _was_ supposed to be working after all. Still, Mark smirked in response as I rested my arm on the bar so that I could put my hand against my cheek as I faced him fully. "So, what's your role in all this?"

"I'm merely an advisor since our mutual friend told me to keep an eye out for you, Cat. The rest will be up to you." Mark replied, dropping the act once we had established our mutual understanding of the other and our roles in the night's agenda. With that thought in mind, he directed me to look towards the mirror behind the bar. "Woman by the door." He started, and I immediately saw another, taller, more well rounded redhead in a prim white dress, sitting alone. "Word from our friends suggest she's looking for someone to help her get pictures of her cheating husband." This shouldn't be a surprise to you by now, but Mark was only just getting started as he directed me to look elsewhere. "The guy in the back, the one that hasn't been able to take his eyes off you since you walked in?" I nodded as my gaze were directed towards a fat, balding businessman doing his best not to leer at me, and failing miserably, over the brim of his glass. "He needs someone to disappear. And last but not least, and my personal favorite of tonight's guests, the mayor's daughter." I blinked and looked towards Mark so quickly I felt a twinge in my neck. He merely shrugged before continuing his briefing on those that needed the Setites' highly questionable favor. "Angela Swann is the least powerful person you'll likely see if you continue to serve the cause. As for why she's here, seeking our services at all, let's just say she has the most delightful tastes and leave it at that. The kind of thing that, if anyone else were to catch wind of it, would land her in twelve different kinds of hot water. While she needs us to help satisfy her needs, it's the blackmail someone else wants on her while she's too busy to care that we truly want."

"Okay….so what's my job in all this?" I asked, not quite understanding what I was there for as I flicked my gaze to the golden haired blonde that looked far too young to be the mayor of New York's own flesh and blood. On the other hand, I don't have to tell you how many older men marry much younger women for one reason or the other. As for who wanted the blackmail, the lucky winner was another Setite that wanted power over both Angela and her father, for various reasons that ultimately lead to the same place.

Mark nodded in understanding and turned so his back was to the bar before crossing his arms over his chest. I followed suit but kept my arms at my sides and my hands in my lap. "I could have talked to them myself, but that would defeat the purpose of your being here. Your role is merely that of a messenger. Once you gain their trust however, after I've made the arrangements to deliver what they want, they'll remember you, they'll start to call on you directly one day long after you've gained a few friends of your own in the right places, and thus our net grows ever wider. Our reach ever longer." All in all, it was a pretty neat, simple, but very effective system. My thoughts must have been obvious on my face however because Mark's smirk widened as he chuckled softly at my amazement. "You'll do fine Cat. You already have their attention, now you just need to close the deals."

"I have to ask-" I started, but Mark must have known what I was going to say because he just grinned knowingly before he beckoned for me to face the bar once more. Whatever he wanted to tell me, he didn't want someone to overhear him, which seemed odd given what we had just been talking about.

Once we were situated, his smile faltered a little before he sighed and ordered a shot of Jack Daniels. The bartender wasted no time in getting the man set up before Mark tossed it back and let out a grunt as the liquid burned its way down. "Ugh, I hate Jack Daniels, but it gets the job done. As for how I know what you are and why I'm still human, not every Setite is a part of the V club, Cat." While I was a little surprised I wasn't the only one that referred to being a vampire being a member of a club, I didn't speculate on it long as Mark continued. "Before I go any further, how many Revelations have you been through?"

"Two." I replied softly as memories of my recent ordeals flickered behind my blue eyes before I could reign them back. "Yourself?"

"Enough to know that I'd rather keep what's left of my soul just the way it is." He replied, surprising me with that admission, but before I could ask why, he had the bartender pour him another shot of Daniels. Once that too had disappeared down his throat, Mark sighed before looking at me once more. "My advice? Keep it at two. I've been to enough gatherings to know it only gets worse the further you go. My family might have raised me to believe in the whole thing, and I'll admit, it's not a bad set up, but even after seeing what the true Setites can do, I'd prefer to keep some semblance of decency to my name."

I had no ready answer for that, but at the same time I could relate. The vast majority of me however, wondered if I shouldn't excuse myself so I could make a call to Taweret, and inform her that one of our own had started to doubt. That just wouldn't do after all. Instead of making a decision then and there however, I looked away this time and for the first time since my Embrace, I craved a drink. Daniels, whiskey, something, and I'd have rather it was right from the bottle rather than through someone else's veins. But I couldn't drink anymore, so I simply sighed and pushed such thoughts to the wayside, at least for the moment. "There's no going back for me. The only way I can go is forward." I stated firmly, but Mark must have guessed at what I was truly saying because he sighed knowingly and let the matter drop.

For the most part. "Well, I hope you find what you're looking for." He replied softly, but I could tell his heart wasn't in it as he tapped at the bar's top before clearing his throat. "In any event, we both have a job to do, and the night's not getting any younger." It was just as well that he made an effort to get us back on track, because I didn't want to think about such things anymore. So I nodded, said a little mental prayer to Set, _shocking_ I know, and steadied myself for the task ahead of me just as Mark let his gray eyes fall on the oldest of the three individuals he had briefed me on. "Thomas Allbright's looking ready to leave. I'd start with him and work your way down from there, saving Angela for last."

Heeding Mark's advice, I slung my handbag's straps over my shoulder, collected my smartphone, and made a beeline for the first of my three potential new clients. As I've said before, Auspex and Presence make social interactions far too easy, especially when used in combination to discern if your tactics of persuasion are being effective or not. For Thomas, I barely had to put on the pressure of my Presence to get him to sign on the dotted line, metaphorically speaking, before he was all too eager to spill his guts to me as to who he wanted disposed of, and why. Apparently Mr. Allbright wasn't so bright when it came to business, and had borrowed money from the wrong person. The loan shark was a low level crook, who I'd later learn wasn't affiliated with any of the vampire sects or groups at all, which that in itself would surprise me, and the loan shark had already threatened Thomas's ability to hold a pen, or his own dick to use the crook's words, if he didn't pay up. Essentially, Thomas was trading one leash for another, he just didn't know it yet, or he was just too stupid to realize it. I was going to go with the latter.

I dropped Mark's name, and slipped him the number to my new phone while I was at it per my handler's hinted recommendation, before I started for my next contact of the night. Thomas's thanks followed in my wake as I made for the woman hoping to gain some leverage over her cheating husband. Melissa Samson I learned was wanting said blackmail so that she could gain custody over her kids by applying pressure to her husband. When she showed me the bruises on her arms from where he'd grabbed her with far more force than was strictly necessary, I couldn't blame her for wanting to go to such lengths. While the bruises on their own would have been enough to persuade any judge worth their salt to give her what she wanted, Melissa wanted a stacked deck when it came time for the drawn out trial. That and while I have no personal experience with our, quote unquote, justice system, I _can_ tell you I've heard enough stories about our broken legal system to know having such a card to play doesn't always hurt, if used correctly.

Once I had made the necessary arrangements before sending her to Mark just as Thomas had finished his own talk with the man, I was surprised when Melissa grasped my hand and said 'bless you for your help' before heading the same way. I almost felt bad for sending her to her eventual downfall since when the Setites come to collect on debts owed, having your fingers broken by a loan shark would be a mercy by comparison. Two kids in grade school make for excellent bargaining chips after all.

As for Miss Swann, she was looking for membership to a specific type of social gathering. While she could have walked into any party she wanted and celebrated as most young women with too much money and not enough sense tend to do, she wasn't interested in your average rave. Oh no. She was looking for something a bit more private for one, otherwise why seek out someone of questionable reputation like the Setites, although she likely knew us as something else, but as for the second reason. Well, while it was a very poor representation of the particular lifestyle choice some people partake in, let me sum it up for you in a few simple words.

Fifty Shades of Grey.

 _Yeah_ , she wanted to be someone's willing, or unwilling, I'm honestly not sure what excited her more to tell you the truth, slave for a few hours whenever she could get away with it. Compromising pictures galore could be had with such a desire that my fellow brother in faith, even if his own was faltering, would be more than happy to cater to, or at the least point her in the right direction. Either way, while I wasn't interested in such things, even at the height of my fall to the darkness, I didn't refuse the less than subtle invitation to join her since I didn't need Auspex to see the desire she felt for me as she stood to her feet and let her hand trail across my back on her way past. In her case, I didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt, sending Angela to Mark so she could get her fix, and we could get what we wanted in turn. Even now I think she got what she deserved since she was stupid enough to not use her time on something far more constructive and beneficial to someone other than herself and her perversions. I know, I'm one to talk, but I didn't seek out my own destruction. That's the difference between that spoiled brat and myself.

Once it was done and Angela on her way to being somebody's pet, I rejoined Mark at the bar where a new glass that definitely wasn't wine was waiting for me. "Well, I'll hand it to you Cat, you work fast." He said, his earlier good mood restored as I sipped at the blood, only to raise an eyebrow when I tasted something a little extra mixed into the hemoglobin on the rocks. "Compliments of the house." Whatever had been mixed into my 'drink' went right to my head as a wave of euphoria washed over me. Mark was thankfully wise enough not to overdo it on the ecstasy, he explained to me when asked what had been in my glass, otherwise I doubt I'd have made it out of the club on steady legs. Despite my shock that he had literally drugged me, I found I was rather grateful for the unexpected, if unasked for, addition. Freedom is its own drug, I'll admit, but this one was a bit harder hitting and more immediate, and it had the added benefit of taking the edge off of my earlier mood quite nicely.

The unlady like giggle that escaped me though I'm surprised didn't draw every eye my way as the drugged blood took hold. Take this as a lesson folks, don't accept anything from strangers, especially the dashingly handsome ones. Despite his very ungentlemanlike behavior though, Mark didn't take advantage of me in any way. When I managed to ask him why he had given me a dose of E, he simply smiled. "You looked like you needed a pick me up, and I've heard you're into that kind of thing anyway, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone." Setites, not me in particular, and he was right.

"Weeeelllll….thank you for drugging me." I drawled, my southern accent coming to the surface in dramatic, over exaggerated fashion. God I hate myself for this more in some ways. Drunk me is at least sensible enough not to do anything too stupid, the few times I've been drunk at least both as a human and as a vampire anyway. That time Catherine allowed me to get drunk in her penthouse and I ended up naked in the guest bedroom doesn't count. If you want to argue the point, let me remind you that I can still move a lot faster than you can. Drugged up me however is another story altogether. My filter comes off completely, and my inhibitions, such as they were during this time, might as well not have existed at all. That said, I am immensely grateful I still had enough sense not to shout out my current state of being, as I'm sure Mark was as well as he just grinned and patted me on the back. That said, I think there was an ulterior motive to his drugging me, and it wasn't just to make me happier. I think he wanted to make sure his own ass was covered after having admitted to me his faltering faith. He might have realized too late my mere proximity, and thus my Presence, had made him a little loose lipped even if I hadn't consciously been using my power to make him talk so freely. Once he did however, he took steps to try and at least keep me from saying something that would be believed given my obviously drugged state.

Whatever the case, I shivered and grinned a little wider as the friction my clothes created against my skin sent all kinds of tingly sensations through the rest of me. _Ugh…_.I hate thinking of this point of my life, but at the time I was flying high, having myself a big and rich time, and I wasn't even doing much of anything except having a drink with a new friend. Mark took it in stride though, allowed me to finish my drink, and had his driver take me back to Taweret and the temple. By the time we pulled up to the warehouse, and the secret entrance to the underground sanctuary, I was at the high point of my drug induced euphoria, much to Taweret's immense amusement. "Did we have fun tonight?" She asked, her brown blue eyes gleaming in the darkened space as she leaned her head in the car's open passenger side window, where I was sprawled out unceremoniously in the backseat. Yeah….I'll say again, drugged me is just sad to look at.

"Why yes, yes we did." I remember saying before things got a little….hazy.

As easy as it would have been for Taweret to take full advantage of me, and I wouldn't have complained one bit if she had, I'm both surprised and glad that she didn't. Her spiel was free choice after all, and while she had used underhanded tricks to get the desired results, Mark's actions had not been asked for, thus it negated any plans she might have had in dragging me deeper into Set's ways. Technically I hadn't outright asked for my mother to be dragged into things as she had been, but I had wanted her out of my life, a desire, while largely left unspoken, Taweret had picked up on and had exploited fully. She had simply taken it to its furthest extreme, which had led to where I was at that moment in time. But instead of taking advantage of my euphoric state, which again I wouldn't have said no to in the slightest, she guided me to bed and let me work the drug out of my system, alone, much to, at the time at least, my massive disappointment.

When I woke up the next night however, I was immensely relieved to find I was still dressed, if disheveled. My gray vest I had decided to toss somewhere, my shirt I had half unbuttoned, and I was pretty sure I was going commando underneath my black pants, but all in all I was still dressed. My hair was a mess and sticking up at odd angles, and I had the weirdest taste in my mouth. Beyond that and some grogginess and disorientation, things could have been far worse. "Ugh…." I groaned, feeling less than steady on my feet as I sat up in the high priestess's silk covered bed. "Please tell me I didn't do anything embarrassing." I pleaded, and was quite glad to see Taweret was far more amused than outraged at my abominable behavior from the night before.

"Despite repeated attempts to the contrary, I kept you from doing anything you would regret upon recovering your senses." Taweret informed me, having taken a seat next to me when I had started to stir. "As for Mark slipping you the equivalent of a roofie without permission, I will be having words with him about that, but I am glad you enjoyed yourself. And you did a remarkable job of persuading those that were there for our aid before indulging yourself." When asked how she knew it had been without permission, Taweret just rolled her eyes, as if it should have been obvious by now. "Because I know you, Alex. I'm all for experiencing new things, but you've so far taken things at your own pace, which is fine. But in my experience, few people go right for the ecstasy without trying a few, lesser drugs first. That and you told me Mark drugged you while you were still riding the high." She explained.

"Oh." I said, unsure how I felt by the fact I had been so forthcoming. It made me wonder what else I might have told her as Taweret stood and left the bedroom so I could get myself squared away. Not that I had any reason to keep secrets by that point, not from her, but it would have been nice to know what I might have said or did because I couldn't remember much beyond vague, hazy images and such. One's perception of time is one of the first things to go when under the influence of that particular drug, so my confusion during that six hour high is perfectly understandable. Besides, her praise on a job well done was more important to me at the time than whatever might have happened last night, so I pushed such concerns and worries to the wayside as I went about my evening routine.

All the while Taweret carried on a conversation with me. "I must ask Alex, but did you notice anything out of the ordinary before Mark gave you that spiked drink?" She asked, which had me sticking my head around the corner. My face must have said it all because she only nodded and sighed heavily. "Nevermind. I received news of one of our outlying members being harassed by Camarilla agents is all while you were out, and I had to ask if you might have noticed anything amiss. It's probably nothing more than a random, lucky raid on their part." She said, but something in her voice suggested she wasn't so sure it was so random. Before I could dwell on it though, she clucked her tongue and I began to hear the click and clack of keyboard keys in the background. "Before I forget, I had someone pick up your belongings from the Primogen's penthouse. Catherine probably didn't even notice their absence, seeing as she's too busy being lazy and incompetent and too wrapped up in her own little games to care about much else. I did however find the most interesting USB drive among your belongings."

"Shit. I completely forgot about that." I replied, having honestly done just that as I soon came out in a simple black robe, my hand partially over my face as I remembered the warehouse fire I had set. That alone felt like it had happened to someone else completely, and in a way that wasn't far off the mark as I let my hand fall to my hip with an annoyed huff. "I persuaded the owner to give me detailed information regarding his operations. I don't know what I had planned to do with it exactly, only that I wanted the information. Samuel most likely picked up the dead drop long ago, so the money I was owed is out of our reach."

"Information is far more valuable anyway, so do not worry about it Alex. We can make far greater use of the USB drive in the long run." Taweret was quick to say, alleviating my rising anxieties before pulling me against her side, an arm securely wrapped around my waist. "You've done good Alex, don't ever doubt that. Your path to true enlightenment is still long perhaps, but it is not without its rewards. I think it's past time you got yourself a ghoul, and an animal familiar to go with it." I raised an eyebrow at that, since this was the first time I had even considered making my own ghoul, let alone claiming my own pet for that matter. But before I could say I didn't know how to go about it, Taweret put a finger to my lips and only smiled. "Making ghouls is easy, and I have a few ideas for your first. You're free to go your own way of course, but I think you'll agree with me once you've seen who I think would work well with you." She promised.

Even if they weren't devout followers of the faith, I think the ghoulish potentials she soon had me standing in front of in the upper floor of the temple would have been right up my alley. Barring the fact they were all women, which shouldn't surprise anyone, each of them, while not bound to anyone, were more than willing to try and impress their new vampiric mistress if I were to but ask. They each had a complete personal profile for me to look through for crying out loud, detailing every insignificant detail about their respective skills and physical well being. And 'ahem', after glancing at said skills list, I can say with certainty they would have made me happy from a….certain standpoint. Everything from erotic massage to dirty dancing, they had taken lessons in such things if nothing else. Taweret wasn't pulling any punches with my first ghoul, let's just say that. And while each was different in their respective appearances, all of them were very pretty if not drop dead gorgeous, which only made it harder to think clearly around them. Toreador and beauty remember?

As for making a ghoul, I think I said once that it's as easy as giving a vampire's blood to someone that hasn't been drained nearly to death. The cursed blood mingles with the mortal's own, and they take on certain traits of their vampiric master, giving them advanced speed, strength, regeneration, and their aging is slowed significantly if not outright arrested completely. The problem however, is that a bonded ghoul, unless they're strong willed, tend to become….clingy, and will obey almost any order without hesitation, and they can become obsessed with pleasing their master to the exclusion of all other things. They still have their free will and what have you, but it's largely overwritten by their master and the blood they've been given, and like being bitten, vampire blood is its own narcotic, and ghouls require a fresh dose once a month at the very least to keep them stable.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how….mentally unstable some ghouls can become, even if you do give them blood on a regular basis. Let's just say there's a good reason that if you make your first ghoul, you should make sure they don't already have a mental disorder to contend with. There have been stories of ghouls completely losing their shit because like us, they can frenzy, and all it takes is the right trigger, and then you have a full on bloodbath to clean up, provided you aren't the one they frenzied against. They might never be able to match us for strength and speed, or power for that matter, but when you're dependent on a ghoul to protect you during the day and they lose their minds? Well, I'm sure you can figure out the rest. There's also something else that you should know about ghouls. You can completely blood bond someone to your will if you give them your blood three times in short succession. They are still their own person, but their entire existence is devoted to your every whim, taking the master/slave scenario to a whole new level. Even the strong willed have trouble with maintaining their independence at this point, and while they might not like you, they won't deny you either, but if they ever find a way free of the bond, you'd best be prepared to watch your back, especially if you've abused your ghoul or ghouls as most vampires are known to do.

If you want a far more detailed analysis of ghouling and what it means, check out a paper done by a Dr. Douglas Netschurch. He goes into great detail about everything from the effect our blood has on humans from a physical standpoint, as well as the merits and drawbacks he and his own ghoul assistant had been able to observe during the research they were asked to do for the vampiric community as a whole. While Douglas covered the physical aspects, his assistant, a Dr. Nancy O. Reage if I recall correctly, covered the psychological aspects of ghouling and the long term effects it had on the human mind. Yet I'm one of the few that seemed to have actually read the damn thing from start to finish because everyone else I've talked to about said research paper has given me confused looks or they pretended to care before going back to their inhuman behavior against their personal ghouls. Assholes. And people wonder why I prefer to be different from the rest of my vampiric brothers and sisters. Age will never take away my humanity, as battered and scarred as it might be due to my experiences.

Getting back on track, the young women before me however, ranging from eighteen to twenty four, had been brought into the faith at a young age, and understood fully what they were signing up for. That was its own blessing and curse because they were, as Taweret assured me, mentally prepared for the blood bond, but it could be a problem because of the same dependence that would begin once they had their first taste of vampire blood. No amount of training can fully prepare anyone for the potential to frenzy, or the addiction our cursed blood instills. That and while it didn't hit me at the time, even without my blood binding them to me, I could have asked any of them to slit their own throats and they would have done so happily. Okay, that might be a bit of an extreme exaggeration perhaps, but the point remains, they would have gladly done my bidding since I was one of the very creatures they wanted to become if they but served faithfully and well. And while they understood I was Toreador rather than Setite, it didn't matter since the Followers of Set accept people from every clan and walk of life, not just their own.

Which made me realize I had a problem. I might have done well that night, having displayed an ability to move easily through a social setting, despite Mark's underhanded trick that had seen me sent back a drugged mess, but I was also reminded that I still couldn't really take care of myself. I knew how to use my powers, barely no thanks to Antonio, but I hadn't really been able to explore their use fully. That and I hadn't been a vampire very long, and despite my current mindset, I just didn't feel comfortable in enslaving someone else to my will, largely due to my own inexperience. So how was I supposed to take care of someone else? As much as it pained me to disappoint Taweret, I couldn't keep my mouth shut as I turned to face her, my blue eyes downcast. "I...appreciate what you're trying to give me Priestess Taweret, but I don't think I'm ready for a ghoul." The disappointment from the three woman at my side was palpable as my words hit home, but I ignored them. I had my own problems without adding theirs to the mix.

But much to my relief, Taweret only smiled and nodded before turning her gaze on the three hopeful blood whores, and I use the term in as derogatory manner as possible in this case. They immediately fell silent, not about to push their luck with the very powerful snakehead in the room. "You heard her. Leave us." She commanded, and they wasted no time in leaving the hall in a dignified rush. Only after they were gone did Taweret turn to me, an approving gleam in her brown blue eyes even as she asked me why.

"Because," I began, struggling to find the words I needed to put my thoughts out there in a way that would make sense but also wouldn't disappoint her, "while I did okay the other night, despite how I was sent back, I haven't been a part of all this long enough to feel comfortable in my own capacity to survive. I doubt I could realistically take care of someone else, even if their entire existence _is_ devoted to my own continued survival and personal pleasure." And make no mistake, any one of those hopeful blood whores would have served in _any_ capacity I might have asked of them without complaint.

I was relieved and quite happy when Taweret hugged me and kissed the top of my head once again, and a different kind of euphoria, this one completely natural, rushed through me at the action. What she said next answered why she was for my choice to turn down her gift, although in hindsight I think it was just another method to keep me around longer. Free will is a funny thing like that, even if the ghoul is bound, it doesn't mean they won't whisper your secrets to someone else if pushed or persuaded hard enough. "Too often our kind take on servants such as ghouls without realizing the responsibilities that come with them. Setites are different than all the other clans in that we take care of our ghouls. We do not abuse them, use them, or degrade them in any way unless it is absolutely necessary."

A lie on her part, given the simple fact Setites are all about corruption and willful self degradation, and it's not at all unheard of for them to persuade their ghouls to kill each other, only for the winner to desecrate the loser's corpse. Set dismembered his own brother and cast his body parts across the desert after all. And postmortem dismemberment is not the only way a corpse can be desecrated, let's just leave it at that. "The other clans by and large treat humans like tools to be used and abused, and while we are about using our fellow Kindred and mortals alike to further Set's eventual return, our ghouls are a part of our family, our faith, and they deserve the same respect as any of us. More so, because they tend to our day to day lives when we are at our most vulnerable. So the fact you have showed such wisdom fills me with great hope for your future, dear Alex."

While our viewpoints on the matter are vastly different these days, at the time I was immensely relieved and happy that Taweret understood my hesitance. Not only that, but she was gladdened by my restraint, which was just a bonus. I will say this for Setites, while they do care about their ghouls far more than the other clans, it's not the kind of 'care' you'd want showered upon you as I'm sure you've figured out at this point. But whatever I might have thought about it at the time is irrelevant, only that Taweret was happy, and despite the fact someone might have gotten lucky in locating one of our brothers, everything was more or less alright with the world.

But my lessons, such as they were in her care, were far from over. And it wouldn't be long before I was asked to head out again, this time to a Camarilla gathering. This particular party however had a catch, because it was underground, meaning it was borderline illegal, whatever it was that Taweret wanted me to see, if not out and out unlawful by the unaware masses. But any Kindred was invited to attend, and as hated as the Setites were by the _respected members of vampiric society_ , it was also expected that we make ourselves present to those same hypocrites and favor seekers. So, Taweret was sending me to keep up appearances, and to further our cause in whatever way I could.

As for the nature of the party, I'll close this chapter and say that the roman gladiatorial games never ended with the collapse of the Roman Empires of old. Their grand games where man was pitted against man, or beast in some cases, just moved underground in every major city across the world. I'll say it again, most vampires are assholes to their ghouls, because they would be the ones forced to fight for the sadistic pleasure of their masters and mistresses, but more on that next time around.

As for the name of the gathering in question, they call such parties The Main Event.

 **End Notes: Vergil1989:** _I actually have a clanbook PDF I found on the net to thank largely for what we were able to put together for this chapter. It was called_ _ **VtM: The Fatal Addiction**_ _, detailing in vivid, graphic detail the existence of ghouls and the things they tend to deal with from their vampiric masters, let alone other ghouls. Every clan was given their due, from the Ventrue to the Assamites, and there was more than a few revealing details from the eyes of one person that escaped his former master and had started a kind of support group for other escaped ghouls. That said, said group seemed to specialize in hunting down vampires, almost like the Society of Leopold, except said ghouls still required the blood of vampires to survive, especially if they were old ghouls, so you could say they hunted vamps both out of necessity_ _ **and**_ _desire. Not that I could blame them for escaping at all after what I read in the book, some of the stuff described was pretty sick in regards to what these poor bastards had to contend with. And a person who's become a ghoul is rarely ever the same._

 _As for The Main Event, an underground Fight Club for ghouls, at least that's what I got out of what I saw in that book, ran by the Camarilla, it's the perfect example of just how screwed up the Camarilla are as a group. I'm sure the Anarchs and the Sabbat, especially the Sabbat, aren't any better in their own ways, but for the story and where we are right now, it's the perfect way to keep going for a while longer even as we lay out more threads along the way which we'll start to tie off before too long as we get closer to the end. In the meantime, see ya folks, and here's hoping we make it to the Final Nights together._


	12. The Main Event

**Author(s) Warning:** _If you have a sensitive stomach, what the hell are you doing here? Seriously though folks, if you're not a fan of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, or any show that has an overabundance of gore, blood, and dismemberment, you might want to turn away now. This one is going to get messy._

 **Chapter 12: The Main Event**

"Are you not entertained?!" Familiar words for anyone who grew up with the cult classics such as Gladiator, the Last Samurai, and A Knight's Tale, just to name a few, like I did. And while the quote in question came from the first movie on that list, all of them are about warriors of old, fighting for similar ideas with varying results, but all of them are memorable because they gave it their all, sometimes to their last breath. It's the first I want to draw your attention to however, because as I think I hinted at last time, the Main Event is decidedly more roman than medieval or japanese in its style. That said, at least the romans understood the need to treat their slave warriors with a bit more respect. On the other hand, most romans that actively participated in the training and sponsoring of their gladiators weren't vampires most likely, but I could be wrong. That's not to say we didn't have a hand in the gladiatorial games, just that I'm a firm believer in that we let the humans do all the hard work while we reaped the rewards.

As for myself, who knew I'd see my first romanesque styled gladiatorial match after being made into a vampire, but my life is weird like that anymore. That said, what I saw that night is not something I'll likely ever forget, because it just proved something I've come to accept as fact, even after leaving the Setites far behind. The Camarilla are sadistic fucktards. The Sabbat mind you, are many times worse, but at least they're honest about their cravings for blood and dismemberment, regardless if it's Anarch, Camarilla, or Kuei Jin. I still wouldn't shake hands with a Sabbat by any means, and expect to walk away without taking their hands with me before ripping their hearts out of their chest, but what I was introduced to when I stepped into that underground ring shocked and horrified me in a way that I wasn't prepared for, and this coming from someone that had already been through two Revelations in this point of my life.

As for why any ghoul would agree to this insanity, this bloodsport put together for the sick enjoyment of the less civilized among the Kindred in the first place, let me remind you most ghouls are so hopelessly addicted to the blood in our veins that they would do anything to have their next dose. If they have to tear apart another human being to have more of our precious blood, they'll ask their vampiric overlords how they want their opponent to die in the ring, as well as if they want any trophies from their slain enemy. Again, that's likely an exaggeration, although it wouldn't surprise me if it were true in some parts of the world, but my point stands the same. In either event, I've since made it a point to stay as far away from the underground, vampire ran fighting arenas as I possibly can. Once was more than enough for me thank you very much.

I will say this for the Main Event, despite the derogatory nature of the 'games', some Kindred go out of their way to take care of their ghouls in every way the romans once did. Top training, fame, at least among the Camarilla, wealth, women, men, Kindred blood, whatever their prize fighters wanted or needed, they provided. Even the Embrace wasn't off the table, provided they did well enough, but that gift wasn't usually given since a healthy ghoul can live damn near forever if they're given their dose of vampire blood on a regular basis. All their prized ghouls needed to do was win, and keep bringing in the money and respect all Kindred in this line of 'business' always want. As for where this particular arena was located, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. It was appropriately underground, as you'd expect, but you'd never think to look for an entrance to a highly illegal fight club there.

Taking a ferry ride out to Liberty Island per my priestess's instructions was just the tip of that night's surprises. I told you you wouldn't believe me. I certainly wouldn't have imagined that there was anything like this underneath Lady Liberty herself, but the Nosferatu love their little jokes and their twisted ideas of 'poetic justice'. With that in mind, what better way to give a giant 'fuck you' to the American ideals of peace, liberty, and freedom, than to hold deathmatches deep beneath the island. And if you've guessed that the Nosferatu that Taweret had been talking to was the man in charge of the games being held, you'd be right on the money. She had been securing my invitation by calling in a debt owed by that same Nosferatu.

Apparently, finding people to fight for the pleasure of Kindred society isn't as easy as you'd imagine, and since the Nos can't be seen in public without violating the Masquerade every which way, it's only natural that those that hold such competitions seek out the Setites to help them fill the fighting pits. Some Nos own their own ghoul fighters naturally, but by and large they keep pits filled to bursting for newcomers or returning customers to the underground arenas, just as the romans of old kept slaves and head hunted the warriors and potential fighters out of the bunch. All you need to purchase your own ghoul fighter is a suitcase full of greenbacks, and most pit owners won't ask questions. As if that wasn't bad enough, in some places of the world, you don't even need money to buy yourself a healthy cadre of slave warriors. Some places accept blood in place of money, for those same slave pens so the newly caught and caged can be made addicted to our blood that much quicker.

That said, the Kindred also share another similarity with the romans, and that was their love for one sided slaughters. The opening fights were often purposely arranged so that the conclusion was already foregone, and the people involved knew it upon stepping into the ring. They'd still fight to the last more times than not, but more often than not, their opponent or opponents were far above their ability to handle, or they were a Kindred looking to rev up their fellows by dismembering a hapless moron or two that had seen too much, or was far more often the case, just because they could. When it comes to the mortals of the world, the Camarilla could give a damn, and there are always people that can be found that no one will miss if they were to disappear without a trace.

For those few Kindred, like me, that actually care, this kind of setting is Hell. But in typical Camarilla fashion, the arenas are usually Elysium zones, meaning no Kindred can kill each other without paying the price. Those humans unfortunate enough to be there as the 'entertainment' or the 'drinks', don't often walk out however. If they do make it through the night, they have to go through the ordeal all over again until the 'games' are over for the season. And you were wondering why I never returned to the Main Event. There's all the reason you need right there. But you want details, not just me ranting. _Fine_ , but don't expect me to like it.

As shouldn't be surprising by now, once I stepped off the boat and onto Liberty Island, I was directed to head inside the statue itself by a human security guard that took one look at me and my invitation I presented him before he waved me forward without a word. Some people are smart enough not to ask questions when they get a bonus in their paychecks, so long as they ignore us coming and going. While I wasn't the only one that stepped off the boat for the same reason, I was one of the few Toreadors in attendance. I don't know if that's because I just didn't show up on a night when more of my own clan would have been in attendance or if we're just 'better' than the rest, and avoid the Main Event like the pestilence it is, all I can say is that even the 'humane' Toreador that I did see in the crowd acted just as barbaric as the rest of them.

The long elevator ride down to the depths of the world, or so it seemed like to me at the time, was not something I'd recommend. I half expected the dozen or so other people, all Kindred, to call me out on being Setite before dusting me right there in the elevator, but that didn't happen and as I said before, we were nearing an Elysium zone anyway. That and as I've also said before, Setites might be hated but in places like the arenas, we're needed, so we're tolerated if nothing else. That and I wasn't wearing a giant neon sign or anything that declared to them what I was or who I represented, so that helped I imagine, but the fear remained all the same. For all they knew I was a returning participant or a first time arrival, either way I was welcomed until I proved otherwise. When I had started to relax, I couldn't help but notice there was an excited charge to the air despite the close quarters, but one man's excitement is another man's nightmare. Whatever the case, the bounce in my fellow Kindred's step were all too easy to see as we inexorably drew closer to our destination.

Despite the fact the Main Event is a Kindred gathering, there's no formal dress code or adherence to some long winded tradition. That said, I still felt like I was sticking out like a sore thumb among my plain clothed fellows despite the fact I too was dressed for the occasion in a pair of blue jeans, a gray short sleeve, and a black leather jacket. I had gone for more of a punk look I guess, just without the heavy use of black eyeliner and mascara. My old ammo belt, the submachine gun, and my Desert Eagle, with their respective boxes of ammo and clips, were tucked about my person on the off chance I had to shoot my way out, but I was told I wouldn't have to worry so long as I didn't draw the wrong kind of attention to myself. Easier said than done, as I was about to find out.

The loud, thumping music, I had expected. This was supposed to be a mockery of roman gladiator games after all, so why not turn it into a rave while they were at it? It was the smell of sweat, blood, and emotions cranked up to eleven that caught me off guard however as the elevator doors opened, and we were allowed into the main foyer. A rave I could handle, after some adjustment, mainly because I had been given time to make the transition before the crowd had parted and we'd been allowed into the party being held. Going into this place via elevator however, was not a good way for a fledgling like me to get used to what was waiting for me, so that was already a strike against the Main Event.

Imagine going from your average living room, nothing unusual or outstanding, just it's a room and you recognize it well enough from sight, smell, whatever. Then imagine that you step outside, and all you can see, smell, and hear is a blood crazed group of freaks on every side. That's the best way I can describe what assaulted my senses as I was all but shoved out of the elevator by my fellow Kindred who were all too eager to see some hapless ghoul get his teeth kicked in for their sick entertainment. To make matters worse, my damn coat about got stuck in the elevator door when they started to shut behind me, but I avoided that potential disaster by the skin of my teeth as I moved away….only to about run into a Ventrue pretty boy that took one look at me and wiggled his tongue about his mouth in an overly suggestive manner. Ugh. Men are such pigs.

Ignoring him, lest I turn around and jam my claws into his crotch, I did my best to steel myself for whatever I was walking into and started to push my way through the crowd already in front of me. There would be enough death and blood here without me adding to it. It was such a waste of potential and life. Make others kill each other merely for the sake of entertainment, how brutish. It's just one of the reasons why I wonder how we can say that Rome was such an advanced culture without cringing. That's not to say I don't understand the appeal, or why people enjoy seeing others suffer in such a way, but that doesn't make it right.

I will say this much, as sick and perverse the Main Event is, the amount of work they put into the arena itself, at least the one underneath Lady Liberty, is something to behold. Hydraulic lifts attached to platforms made it possible for combatants to fight high above the concrete floor. Fire jets, sometimes programmed to activate on a computer controlled timer, other times at the push of a button, were rigged up, spike pits lined the edge of the arena, and when I looked to the ground itself, I was pretty sure there were parts of the floor that could be pulled back to unleash what I believed would be wild animals into the arena itself. But the truth, as I'd find out before the night was over, was something else entirely, but more on that in a bit.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Main Event!" A woman called out near the DJ booth, a sophisticated looking microphone and headset resting on the right side of her brightly dyed head of hair, allowing her full use of her hands. "For those of you that've been here before, you know the score, but for our first timers, let me break down the beatdown!" Someone loved to hear themselves talk, but I'll say this, the announcer for the evening knew how to draw the crowd's attention. "And what better way to introduce you than to show you our ranking champion in action? Behold! Abbadon!"

If you've ever seen any WWE match on TV or in the colosseum itself, fake or real, doesn't matter, then you can guess what happened next. For those that haven't however, let me 'break it down for you'. You have your two main entrances to the ring, where your average wrestler or boxer or whatever, will come out of with the sound of their chosen music roaring in the background. The real popular ones go all out with fireworks and explosions as they make their way to the ring, and of course the roar of the crowd.

However, unlike the one you might see on TV this so called, Abbadon, didn't enter half naked or something of the like. He marched in, black gleaming kevlar or something similiar hiding every inch of his body, and a long serrated blade in his hand, blood still dripping from its last kill. Although his body was hidden, one could still see his eyes through a narrow slit in his face mask. And I will say this, never before or after have I seen eyes like his on another human being. Wild with hatred and rage, yet also calm in the face of battle and more than a little madness was present as well. My instincts immediately began screaming at me that this was someone not to be underestimated.

It's nice when your instincts do that, gives you a heads up. However, it's the people who don't trigger your instincts who manage to evade even your supernatural senses, those are the ones who often prove far more dangerous. But that was neither here nor there as I watched, transfixed as if I were looking at a train wreck fresh off the tracks, as a dozen men and women were shoved into the ring before Abaddon before the door they had just been ejected through was slammed in their terrified faces.

The black clad, I cannot call him warrior because that would entail he had a shred of decency or honor, butcher began to shake after he saw his opponents, and it took me a moment to realize that he was laughing. With a cold, mocking laugh he looked at each of his future victims for a moment. None could meet his eyes, and as they squirmed in fear of him, his laugh became joyful. With that joyful laugh still on his lips, he jumped at his first opponent, a young man probably not even in his twenties. With a swing of his blade, he cut off his legs just below the knees. Ghouls are stronger than humans by far, so it was like he had just cut into two pieces of paper rather than flesh, bone, and sinew.

Those screams would hound me forever, the pure agony in them still torments my soul from time to time. The screaming man hit the floor, but Abbadon wasn't kind enough to finish him just yet as the crowd around me roared and cheered at the sight. He plunged his blade into his shoulder and twisted, slowly, back and forth. The screams rose in volume. I don't know how the guy didn't pass out or bleed out by that point, but I already wished I was anywhere else but there as the butcher continued his work for the enjoyment of his Kindred masters.

While they thought him distracted two of the others decided that they should attack him together from behind. They had just stepped into range when the maniac whirled around, his sword ripping open the abdomen of both, spilling their entrails onto the floor. With another giggle, he turned around, lifted his foot, and brought it down on his first victim's head, crushing the skull into a pulp effortlessly. The rest of the massacre, again calling it anything else would be a bald faced lie at this point, proceeded just as badly for the innocent souls that had been thrown at Abbadon like lambs to the slaughter. The only merciful thing I can say about it was that he didn't discriminate. Men or women, he didn't care about anything else except killing them in the most brutal, bloody fashion he could.

"Blood! Blood! _Blood!_ " Abbadon screamed in pure euphoria as he cut another hapless man apart. The crowd was delighted to say the least, their cheers ringing in my ears, threatening to turn me deaf with their volume. Me? Well, it was all I could do not to throw up. I had seen wounds and death before, having left at least a few bodies behind me personally before that night, but _this_? This was brutality for the sake of brutality. But to be completely honest? That was what scared me the most, well that and the way Abbadon seemed not to enjoy it, but to literally _love_ it, this creature lived for death and nothing else.

"It only gets worse from here, Cleopatra." I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a Nosferatu before in my life. Despite the disparaging name he used to identify me, the ugly cretin in question offered me a sympathetic smile, which under normal circumstances might have set the hairs on the back of my neck to standing on end, but in this case I hardly noticed. "So, you're one of hers huh? Can't say I like her choice in converts, but that's Setites for you. Hated by all, yet needed by all."

"Thanks." I told him, a touch of my old sarcasm finding its way back into my voice, just as a victorious roar sounded behind me as the last of the sacrifices died in mind shattering agony. The mad creature got a resounding cheer in return. I did not need to look to know that this thing would be splattered in blood and gore, and other things I didn't even want to think about.

"Sure you wanna stay, you look a little green." He told me mockingly, a superior gleam in his eyes. Most Nosferatu and Toreador don't get along, in case you're curious, so his attitude wasn't at all out of character as he just grinned down at me despite the fact I was taller than he was. "I'm sure your high priestess would understand. Not everyone's cut out for this line of work after all."

"Sorry to disappoint you." I growled back, not about to run back home with my tail between my legs. "Never challenge a southern woman, it won't end well for you."

"Says you Cleo. 'Sides, I was raised in the Bronx before there was a Bronx, so make all the noise you want. But I won't stop ya, just try not to lose your dinner in the meantime. Got enough of a problem keeping this place clean as it is." The Nosferatu ringleader shot back before he walked away, leaving me to my business now that he had laid out the score between us. He had made it abundantly clear he didn't like me, or the Setites, but he wasn't forcing me to leave either, because quite simply, he couldn't. Not without offending Taweret and reneging in whatever deal he'd made with her anyway, which would have ended very badly for him if he tried. Essentially, I was the one with all the power here since I was representing my priestess, but I wasn't stupid enough to try and test how much leeway I had with the man. You can only push someone so far before they push back.

As for his concerns about keeping the place clean, in retrospect, I have to say that this statement is kind of funny considering what happened. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, I have still a lot to tell you before we get to that part of my little story. Having made our threats at each other and did our dance as we had, the Nos and I gladly parted ways, which allowed me to start seeking out anyone that might need a favor from Taweret and the Setites, or to remind those that already had made such deals that their time was coming and payment would be required soon. Needless to say, I was busy, as I went through the list of pictures and information Taweret had downloaded on my smartphone for this very occasion. I made it a point to start with those that had already been in contact with the Setites before doing anything else. I wasn't about to let anyone slip the net, especially after my round with the ringleader. I was pissed and determined to do my job and do it right.

Unlike most Toreador, I prefer to get my own hands dirty, something I said at the very beginning of this. In life I was the same, so why would I be any different in unlife? Besides, if you can't do something yourself, but need others to do it for you, well then you don't deserve it in the first place. I always believed that one should take responsibility for one's own actions. Perhaps old fashioned, but better then being able to tell yourself that everything is fine just because you didn't personally rip a family apart. An extreme example, I know, but the point remains the same.

As for the fighting, I was able to largely block out the mess in the arena, but every so often I was violently reminded of where I was when I heard a particularly loud scream normally preceded by the breaking of bones or the squelch of torn flesh. Thankfully Abaddon seemed to have retired, at least for the moment. Which made sense, he was their champion. The one they used to make evenings special, to get everyone in the mood. They couldn't have him around all the time, that would get boring. And I was infinitely grateful for that, for none other had even come close to the sheer sadistic glee that _thing_ radiated. Of course, I changed my tune somewhat when I saw another specialty of this particular setting. It turns out they did have exotic, wild animals ready to throw into the pit at the right time, except if you replace the word 'exotic' for the much more apt 'horrific', you'd be on the right track with what came later on in the night as I was just finishing up with the sixth name on my list.

The lights were turned off first, which was met with an excited hum and a few quiet cheers from the crowd. The atmosphere, that had been positively charged, had changed dramatically with that single action. The blood lust and fever pitch was still there, yet there was something….else, in the air now, something I wouldn't call terror, but it was definitely discomfort although I couldn't guess as to why until the announcer came on the air again. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you're all well aware, tonight we have a rare treat for all of you. Our illustrious Prince has let his Tzimisce friend out of her dungeon to bring us her menagerie of her latest creations. For those that know of the infamous, diabolic fleshcrafters, normally they're only Sabbat lunatics and bloodthirsty monsters, but every now and again, one comes along that prefers partying with the rest of us Cammies." There was derisive laughter, to be sure, but it wasn't quite as all encompassing or heartfelt as it had been not so long ago when the fights had been taking place. And despite her attempts to the contrary, I could hear a note of terror in the announcer's voice as she stepped up to her podium. I was about to find out why everyone was so afraid of the Tzimisce.

"So, without further ado folks, Kindred from all over the world and in some cases, under it, feast your eyes and try to hold onto your dinner because tonight just wouldn't be complete without a good old fashion _cage fight!_ " When the arena perimeter disgorged eighteen foot long electrified steel fencing before a matching steel ceiling was quickly secured and bolted onto the fence, I knew that whatever was about to happen required extra security for some reason. That in itself was not a good thing, and did nothing for my already stretched thin nerves. Each section of the fence came out of the floor with an ominous boom, before Kindred quickly went about securing the ceiling segment. Once everything was in order, the juice was cranked on, and bolts of raw electrical energy crackled and writhed through the cage.

They say that when you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back into you. I didn't understand what that meant when I heard the saying the first time, but when the first of the 'exotic creatures' were let out of their cages from beneath the arena floor, I'm pretty sure my bowels found a way to loosen despite my non functioning intestinal tract. H.P. Lovecraft often wrote about creatures beyond our simple, mortal understanding, of otherworldly beings that are so alien and powerful, that to merely look upon them is to invite disaster and madness. Looking upon the monstrosities the 'guest of honor' had brought with her certainly had me wondering if I had gone mad, because there was no way that something like that first creature, let alone its brethren, could have ever been conceived naturally. Which was exactly the point, because they hadn't been created by natural means at all. There is _nothing_ natural about Vicissitude. For some godforsaken reason, Clara, yeah _that_ Tzimisce, decided to have the DJ play Marilyn Manson's Sweet Dreams. I've since made it a point to never play that particular song again after what I saw come out of that arena floor. Thanks a lot you fleshshaping bitch, you ruined one of Manson's best songs for the rest of my eternity.

Clara's mount, at least its three, disfigured, misshapened heads, were the first thing the crowd and I saw when I foolishly went back to the arena's edge, mindful of the electrified fence now separating us from the pit that dominated the chamber. Each one had mouths filled with razor sharp, curved dagger like teeth, each of them were wide open, ready to devour anything that came within range of their maws, and from the pain wracked, maddened look in their mismatched, beady little eyes, they weren't particularly picky about what they were directed at. This thing might have been human, once, but it was impossible to tell now what it had once been, and that was only the beginning. The beast of burden and war was big, so there was a fair bit more yet to see. Clara, nestled safely on the horribly disfigured three headed bear like creature's back, held onto reins that were ropes of sinew and muscle ligaments, which in turn were seamlessly connected directly with the beast's thick, tree trunk sized neck. I couldn't imagine the pain it felt anytime she so much as gripped the 'reins' too tightly, let alone pulled this way or that to get it to turn the way she wanted. The fact she did so effortlessly said that this thing had been well trained to respond to her commands.

The six, spindly yet muscle packed legs, which ended in four, long toes which had at least two, retractable razor sharp talons on each, moved the monstrous being along with a grace and ease that shouldn't have been possible, yet it was. To make it worse, the power was turned off to the fence, and it was made readily apparent that it could walk on walls, or the ceiling, as Clara commanded her demented beast to do just that before eventually making their way back to the arena's gore covered floor. And her war mount was just the beginning. She had ghouls, same as any Kindred, but like her mount, they were all misshapened in some way or another, and some of them seemed overjoyed to have been transformed as they fell in behind their mistress and her powerful, grotesque freak of nature.

As for Clara, she had forsaken her human mask and had fully embraced her clan's twisted nature for the occasion. There was little point to lie about what she was at this point as her cadre of misshapened servants took up position on either side of her monster. The Tzimisce was however, was equal parts beautiful and terrifying, showing off the best of both worlds, or so she no doubt believed. Her full, black lips, pale, beautifully soft skin, and her eyes were the only truly human parts about her. The rest was a Tzimisce 'work of art', but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The centipede of flesh and muscle along her back now had sharp, wicked looking spines that I was pretty sure had a liquid coating of some kind upon them. Perhaps poison, or some kind of organic acid, I couldn't tell at the time. Her long, dexterous fingers now ended in six inch long talons that matched the color of her pale skin, and her arms were covered in bone gloves that reached up to her elbows. At least I thought so until she raised her hand to the ceiling, a signal to turn the lights back on, and I saw that the bone was growing right out of her flesh, giving a whole new meaning to exoskeletal armor. It wasn't just her arms that had bones, painted red, or dipped in blood, covering her body though. Her entire 'outfit', was that of hardened and shaped bone, giving her a grotesque, gothic, medieval noblewoman air about her. And god help me, a part of me found her darkly erotic and sensual in a nightmarish kind of way.

I couldn't tell you if that was the Toreador side of me responding to her grotesque, nightmarish yet beautiful appearance, made worse by my recent corruption at the hands of my priestess, or if it was just me. Whatever the case, I couldn't look away, despite the fear and disgust she radiated just as she drew the eye of everyone with a still working libido. It didn't help that her 'red dress' did little to cover her body, if anything, her outfit only enhanced her otherworldly, Lovecraftian inspired beauty. It was the stuff of nightmares and dark desires both.

To make it worse, at least in terms of her truly monstrous nature, this wasn't even her Zulo Form, a combat ready shape that is the Tzimisce's most potent weapon as they take on a truly monstrous shape to tear apart their most powerful of opponents. Few that see a Zulo Form ever return to tell the tale. Sarah did, and she readily admits that the Tzimisce she took on almost took her apart despite how strong she'd already been at the time. As for their ideas of beauty, I'm sure we can all agree that a Tzimisce is _not_ beautiful, and considering they were born out of the very evil, darkness, depravity, and debauchery of their creator in an effort to purge himself of said darkness, it's only natural that they reflect that in their very flesh that they can shape as easily as they shape the flesh of those around them. Their very essence is mutable, and they revel in their ability to change things as they see fit in the pursuit of their twisted ideals.

Yet that didn't change the fact that I couldn't look away. I wasn't the only one by any means, but I didn't notice right away, my blue, horrified gaze having since locked onto this demonic seductress that understood the power she held. She slowly dismounted her war beast, ensuring everyone saw her long, pale legs swing over the fleshy, high backed saddle before landing on the ground with a bounce in all the right places. Contained in her bone, blood painted dress as she was, she still had enough flesh that was able to move as naturally as any normal woman's, so of course I noticed, as did the crowd. What I didn't know, was that she was there as a warning to anyone that might dare to even _think_ about crossing the Camarilla, and a reminder to those that already knew the message she had been instructed to deliver with her mere presence.

The rest of the night went about as you'd expect at this point once Clara and her cadre of misshapened ghoulish mutants filed out of the arena so the fighting could begin again in earnest. On the inside I was relieved, because while her appearance may have been shocking, she hadn't participated in the bloodshed. The mere thought about the wounds her monstrosities would have caused was enough to send a chill down my spine. On the other hand, I couldn't help but wonder just what kind of power she held within the Camarilla that gave her such sway over the other Kindred, even if she hadn't really done anything except make herself seen.

In the end, it didn't matter because I was in no frame of mind to keep up the charade any longer. I needed to get out of there. Taweret could send someone else to do tonight's business, I just knew that if I stayed any longer, I'd end up killing someone if I didn't lose my blood in sheer disgust and revulsion. Ignoring the satisfied gleam from the Nosferatu ringleader's gaze when I pushed past him, I made a beeline for the elevator, fully determined to put as much distance between myself and this hellhole as possible. Of course, if you've been paying attention, nothing in my life ever went that smoothly, because I ran into someone that froze me in my tracks.

Charles had made an appearance. At least, I thought it was Charles, but something felt different, because for one, he took one look at me and smiled. Charles never smiled, certainly not at me. While I was sure he didn't recognize me, that still sent me back a step anyway because the few times I'd seen him, he'd had made it clear he hated my very existence. So why was he smiling at me? Perhaps he had indulged himself with some alcoholic blood? Drugs? That would explain a lot either way. No such luck however, as I was about to find out.

"Good evening mademoiselle." Okay, now I knew for sure this wasn't the same guy that was in charge of the whole of New York. The utterly charming smile on his face was so out of character, I couldn't help but wonder if he had gone Malkavian when I hadn't been looking. And before you ask, no it's not possible for someone to spontaneously change their clans like that, but the thought passed through my mind anyway as the suited Ventrue held out his right hand which I tentatively grasped. I couldn't be rude after all right?

"Good evening." I managed to stammer out in response, so utterly out of my element I'm surprised I got my mouth to work at all. It didn't help that this guy looked just like Charles, right down to the expensive shoes and the almost OCD way he parted his short, neatly trimmed brown hair. My theory? It was Charles, but he didn't recognize me, which put him in a good mood. Well in that case better to get the hell out of here before he did and decided to throw me into the arena. "If you'll excuse me, I'm afraid this kind of entertainment is not for me."

"It's perfectly understandable. Not everyone can get behind this rather grotesque mockery of what once had an honored place in history. I'm only here because someone of great import to me was asked to attend." The Charles that wasn't Charles said and nodded in sympathy, which just further unnerved me despite the way he was trying to set my mind at ease. Probably because of that actually, because the Charles I knew trampled on people's feelings unless he thought they were important or useful to him. This guy though was trying to be nice? Something stank about this whole thing. Whatever my thought on the matter, the Ventrue I noticed was looking over my shoulder, which was probably just as well because it spared me having to explain why I was looking at him like he had grown a second head. "Clara, as magnificent a performance as ever."

 _Did I just fall into the Twilight Zone?_ That was the thought that flashed through my mind as I slowly turned around, just as Charle's gently excused himself and pushed past me to stand before the Tzimisce in question. The weirdness only shot up another notch when Clara gave him a teeth filled smile before cupping his cheek just as he bent down to kiss her deeply. Okay, this was starting to become way too much for me to handle. And predictably as ever, my mind decided to put it ever so eloquently. _Get the fuck out of here!_ I didn't get two steps before Clara turned her currently inhuman face to me once she had broken from Charles's lips and raised an eye ridge inquisitively in my direction.

"You look….familiar to my eyes, childe." She mused aloud as she put a taloned hand on her boyfriend's suited chest. That thought alone was enough to make me throw up in my mouth a little bit. "Have I seen you before?"

"I think I'd remember." _Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up!_ "You are rather memorable."

"Tsk, it is not uncommon for neonates of the lesser clans to shudder in our presence." She told me, while unknowingly echoing what she had told me at the party Catherine had dragged me to. She corrected herself however when she looked up into Charles's face and chuckled wryly at her own words. "Well, most of the lesser clans." Ugh…..totally, _ugh_! The almost lovesick look in her eyes wasn't helping my opinion in the slightest as Charles just grinned down at her in response.

"You'd never believe how our little love affair came to be in the first place." Charles chimed as he turned to face me, his right hand resting firmly on the back of Clara's bone dress. Now that I was as close as I ever wanted to be, I could tell it wasn't red paint that clung to the 'outfit'. It was most definitely fresh blood that had been allowed to dry onto the grotesque mockery of clothing.

 _And I don't want to know! Ever!_ I screamed in my thoughts, but instead I gave both of them an uncertain smile. I was sincerely hoping that they would let me leave, and soon, preferably right now. But I just could not help myself. _Damn_ my curiosity. "Now I'm curious." I remember saying, like a total, complete fool. When I should have been making a quick exit, I was flirting with two of the most dangerous people in this madhouse. That said, I'll admit that there was a kind of thrill in that neither Charles or Clara knew who I was talking to. I was playing them both for fools, as was the Setite way, and despite my terror at being discovered, it made me feel powerful in a significant sense.

"He saved my life." Okay, that took me completely by surprise, but Clara admitted it so freely that it couldn't have been anything but true. It only helped cement its validity when Charles shrugged but nodded, as if to say it wasn't a big deal, but Clara wouldn't have any of that as she pulled him closer against her bone covered body. "Let it never be said that the Tzimisce are without honor. But it….became something more over time."

 _Good for you, you crazy bitch._ I snarked in my mind, while cursing myself for asking in the first place. I could have been long gone if I hadn't asked, maybe, but _no_ , I just had to ask the douche and his psycho lover about how they had met. "I'm finding it hard to imagine you'd need anyone to save you Miss….?" …..I hate myself sometimes. But Clara happily introduced herself and curtsied, at least as much as her bony dress allowed, before asking me for my own name. "Ms. Grant."

Thankfully, Charles was quick to pick up the conversation before Clara could ask anything more. I'm not sure how much longer I could have kept up the charade before my identity was called into question. "Well Ms. Grant, it has been a pleasure, but I fear we have much to do yet before the night is over. Come along Clara. We have to get your pets squared away before someone has a conniption fit. I don't have to remind you what happened the last time."

"I am well aware some people cannot appreciate all of my hard work for the Camarilla. If so much as a claw is out of place this time, I will find the offender and rip their skin off an inch at a time." Clara retorted, but her annoyance wasn't directed at the man on her arm in the slightest. As for what had happened the last time, despite my cursed curiosity, both literally and otherwise, I was immensely glad they had left me to stand by the elevator because I had had more than enough excitement for one night.

Which just meant that I had to get back as fast as possible before life decided to make things even more interesting if not downright insane. And I needed to report this to Taweret, she would be quite interested in Charles's relationship with the Tzimisce. While she might be disappointed I hadn't met with all of her contacts, as I said before, I didn't care anymore. I had gotten the point as to the real reason she had sent me to this hellhole. She had wanted me to see just what the Camarilla got up to behind closed doors, only further ensuring I wouldn't be in a hurry to return any time soon. It was all I could do not to frenzy on my way back to the surface as I was forced to think about everything I had seen for myself in the quiet confines of the elevator.

I guess you could really easily sum up most if not all of vampiric society with one simple sentence. Everyone's an asshole in their own way. Of course, most regular people can also be labeled in a similar fashion, but a human's life is barely a drop in the bucket compared to a vampire's. Not to say that their life mean less, but fact is that there are far more humans than vampires, and while their capacity for evil is just as readily available, at least most try to be better than their undead counterparts. How ironic that the species most vampires detest is the one that is actually superior to us in such matters. And without them, we couldn't exist. It's strange how the 'short lived mortals' are actually the elder race of the two of us. And despite the belief of many, they are the ones that are shaping this world more than we ever could despite all of our so called power we've accumulated.

Of course, I wasn't thinking about any of that on my way back to Taweret. There was far more pressing concerns on my mind. So much so that I at first didn't notice I was being followed until I had gotten off the ferry once it had docked on the mainland, and I was a few blocks walk away from the sanctuary. Having decided to use the alleyways and narrow passages between the buildings, in an effort to avoid as much contact from human and vampire as possible, I didn't think about who I might run into along the way until I saw the reflection of someone in a parked car's window. When I did however, I sighed and turned on my heel, my hand on my Desert Eagle's grip although to a casual observer, I was simply resting my hand on my hip. "What?" I demanded, in no mood whatsoever to be tailed by anyone.

"Alexandria Watson. You've changed your appearance, but the blood on your hands is all too easy to smell upon you." Crap. It wasn't long that the speaker, an asian, suited gentleman with a just visible katana hilt sticking out from underneath his long, tanned color trench coat, was soon joined by several of his associates. "You have stolen from the wrong people, and have destroyed our business in the warehouse district. This attack against our organization will not be allowed to stand another night." Double crap. I should have known that, _that_ would come back to hound me, but to be honest, I had had other concerns on my mind. Despite my concern, the ambushers certainly seemed human, as far a quick scan with my Auspex was concerned anyway, which could be both good and bad.

Word of advice though? Never, and I mean it, never underestimate a human. You think just because you have all those powers and abilities that you'll have an easy time? That might be true against an ordinary human who has no idea how to fight. However, in some ways, humans can prove to be far more dangerous than a vampire ever could. They constantly adapt, change, and find new ways to overcome challenges. The moment you underestimate them, you're dead. So don't do that, unless you are one of those useless shovelheads, in that case, please jump right into your doom. You'd be doing the rest of us a favor.

Despite the obvious threat before me though, I was far too pissed off to care about the odds. Besides, a guy with a sword? How much of a threat could he be? Sure his associates had guns, but they were everything from pistols to a sawed off shotgun, nothing that I couldn't handle. The shotgun would be worrisome, true, but as Samuel had already proven to me my first day, bullets just tended to piss off vampires. I was confident, admittedly overconfident, I could handle these morons. "Funny, the only thing I saw was a scum sucking slaver and his buddies. Call it what you like, but the truth just makes me glad I'm no longer human." I spat back, in no mood to banter half truths or petty insults for that matter.

"Yes, I am well aware of what you are." The fact he said 'I' instead of 'we' meant exactly what it sounded like, that the leader knew but his cronies didn't. The way his buddies shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, puzzled as to what we were talking about, only confirmed my suspicions. "But I am also well aware your kind can be destroyed just as easily as any man. Once I have separated your head from your shoulders, my employers will reward me greatly." To emphasize his macho man bravado, the man pulled his katana from the sheath on his back before holding it aloft and pointed in my direction.

"Let's see you try it." I hissed, not about to go down quietly. I needed to work off some frustration and rage anyway, so I figured this was a good as time as any to do just that. That, and since at least one of them knew what I was, he needed to die, even if I had no love whatsoever for the Camarilla itself. With that in mind, I didn't feel bad at all for what I was about to do as I closed my eyes for and concentrated, calling something to the surface I had yet had a chance to try in a situation like this. Remember I said I'd been taking lessons in the Setites' ways? It wasn't just the academic side I'd been allowed to study, although it had taken my killing my own mother for Taweret to show me more than a few mere cantrips of Serpentis. When I opened my blue eyes, I couldn't see how they had changed, but the way those unfortunate enough to meet my now slitted eyes told me they were frozen in place, immobilized as if they were staring into the eyes of a viper.

It was weak perhaps, since this was the first time I had used Eyes of the Serpent outside of a controlled environment, but it was all the advantage I needed as I shot forward. I hadn't immobilized all of the gunmen, but the fact half their number couldn't move caused enough confusion among the rest that they were slow to respond to me. Besides, they lacked the deadly incendiary ammunition Samuel preferred to use, the video of him watching as the fire burned its way into the heart of another Setite was still enough to give me its fair share of nightmares during this time of my life. Knowing that these idiots lacked this particular advantage was liberating though. That's not to say regular bullets don't hurt though, as I found out after I took down the first of the line of morons only to turn and receive a shot in the center of my stomach. A crushed windpipe before I had swept the man's legs out from under him, only to turn into the barrel of the next man in line, is not a good way to come out of Celerity. We both looked down though, me out of annoyance, and the man who had shot me out of unadulterated fear when the realization hit that I should have been bleeding out on the ground at his feet after taking a shot to the gut. Instead I looked up as he did, and I'm pretty sure he dropped a brick in his pants when he met my infuriated blue eyed gaze.

"Oh sh-" I never gave him a chance to finish as I grabbed his wrist, twisted it violently to the side, and wrapped my hands around his head, about to snap his neck like a twig. I changed my mind at the last second however, and instead shoved him forward just as the sound of the sawed off shotgun reached my ears. My human shield took the full brunt of the blast to his back, but I was already long gone, having moved to my next opponent in the space of a few seconds. Celerity is awesome like that, and while I had reactivated it on instinct more than conscious choice, it still aided me immensely during the fight. Time slowed down for me, albeit briefly since my control of it was still questionable, while granting me my clan's supernatural speed in the process. The time dilation is necessary however, because it's the only way someone moving that fast could hope to react to what's happening around them. Overuse of Celerity however has the side effect of making it so that the user can't help but wonder why everyone else is moving so slow.

I didn't have to worry about that yet however. I was too new and untrained, despite Antonio's 'lessons', to have reached the point Celerity would become a problem. Before the bleeding, buckshot riddled corpse could hit the ground, I had already grabbed the offending shotgun, twisted it around, and used its second shot to blow a huge hole into the man's skull. The old me would have probably started gagging by now, but the new me? Not so much. I suppose there are advantages to being a natural predator. Whatever the case, the morons I had immobilized were starting to shake off my Eyes of the Serpent spell, and then there was the katana wielding leader I needed to worry about. He was quick on his feet, quicker than I expected him to be, and when I pulled my Desert Eagle and took a shot at him, it didn't slow him down as much as I thought it would when I clipped his side. "Is that all you have?" He shouted back over the roar of the magnum as the remainder of his forces dispensed with all sense of strategy and just fired in my general direction. "You are nothing!"

"Then why are you running?!" I shouted back, even as I too was forced to jump behind the car I had passed initially before this ambush had been sprung. I wondered briefly how a full blown firefight could go on for so long without the police bearing down on us. Of course that was the moment where I faintly heard the approaching sirens, which meant that I had to end this quickly or make good on my escape. They must have had the same thought because the katana wielding asian man shouted something to the survivors, and they started to scatter to the four winds.

"This is not over. You will see us again!" As much as I wanted to pursue him and get it over with, I wasn't so consumed with bloodlust or righteous fury that I was in a hurry to get in a prolonged firefight with the police as well, who would just be doing their jobs in trying to bust up our little party. But I stared the asian man in the face, determined to burn his visage into my memory. The next time he would not escape me. He had started this fight by coming after me, but I would end it.

Going my own way, I made it a point to ascend a fire escape as fast as I could and ran the rest of the way to Taweret's temple by traversing the rooftops of lower Manhattan. Having learned my lesson once that night, I wasn't about to take a chance that someone else decided to use me as target practice. I didn't relax, even after my eyes, having since returned to normal, fell on the storage facility that marked the outer boundary of the Setite sanctuary. I only started to relax once I was inside and the secret entrance was barred and locked behind me. I wasted no time in heading down to the lower levels of the temple, where Taweret was most likely located, and wasn't disappointed when I heard the chanting of that evening's ceremony to our god in main hall ahead of me. As anxious and upset as I was over the night's events, I took the time until the end of the ceremony to collect myself in an effort to try and calm down. It worked, to an extent, but by the time Taweret walked out after the rest of the cultists had dispersed for the evening, I had started to pace the length of the hallway.

Taweret took one look at me and stopped me by putting her hands on my shoulders. "Peace, Alex, what's happened to have you so upset?"

 _Where to begin?_ My night had been, simply put, a nightmare. I decided to prioritize what bothered me, first telling her of the attempt on my life and the reason behind it. Then about Charles's unexpected presence and his relationship with Clara, and lastly about how this so called Main Event was nothing more but a mockery of life. Taweret took it in stride and remained silent until I had run out of steam, before she responded. "I fear I should have told you the truth of what you'd likely run into regarding their bloodsport. I did not think, and for that I apologize." At the time I believed her, but now I know better since as I've said before, she had known exactly what my response would have been. Not that she gave me a lot of time to consider it as she moved things along. "As for the attempt on your life, I am both intrigued these humans were able to locate you, but I am also pleasantly surprised on how you were able to get away. You say you used the Eyes of the Serpent?"

"Yeah, but I had a lot of motivation. I doubt I could pull it off again right now however." I replied honestly. Now that the adrenaline had started to wear off, I only then realized I was bone tired and needed a drink pretty badly, but I kept that to myself for the moment. She hadn't dismissed me after all, and besides, there were more important things to worry about.

"I see." The way she said that should have been a clear warning, but I didn't pick up on it, although I really should have expected her to test me in some way or another in the near future. Instead, she seemed to come to some kind of decision, because the next moment her thoughtful look that had fallen over her face disappeared, and she seemed to notice just how tired I looked. "We'll worry about this turn of events later. Come, you're tired, and you need to replenish yourself. I am proud of your accomplishments however. I do hope you've learned something tonight though."

"Yeah, I did. I am _really_ starting to appreciate the fact you got me away from those sadistic pricks." And I was indeed quite happy that she had. After that bloodbath masquerading as civility, and even that was a far stretch, I was in no hurry at all to go running back to the Camarilla and those that followed their ways. Granted, Set and his ways weren't much better in many respects, but at least the Setites were honest about it, or so I stupidly believed at the time. But Tawaret's approving smile, despite the fact I hadn't talked to everyone she had sent me to see, was all the reassurance I needed that I had gotten the heart of the lesson she had wanted me to learn, which I had. Oh I most definitely had.

After satiating my thirst, I was all too happy to get a shower and fall into bed that night. Before that though, I vaguely remember hearing another attack had occurred, which had Taweret worried. But before I could ask, she put a finger to my lips and bade me to rest, that there was nothing to worry about. I was too tired to argue anyway, so I didn't bother pressing for more information. I should have though. Things might have turned out differently, although not necessarily for the better, if I had.

As for the next night, well, I'll close in saying that after what I had seen at the Main Event, I wanted nothing to do with the Camarilla. That desire, that need to separate myself from them in every way that mattered guided what I did next shortly after we had finished that night's first prayer to Set. "Taweret," I began hesitantly, knowing instinctively that I was about to make a decision that couldn't be taken back, but I needed to do this. I needed to finish my journey, especially after the sadistic, blood soaked revelry I had just witnessed the night before. God I was stupid, but my dark skinned priestess's inquisitive glance spurred me onward. "I...after last night, I want nothing to do with the Camarilla, and the only way I see that happening, is if you help me."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Taweret asked, sounding genuinely surprised by where this conversation was going. The fact I remember seeing a hopeful gleam in her gaze should have made me reconsider my next comment, but I didn't see it at the time. Or I was really that blind that I couldn't see the obvious right in front of me.

But it only made it easier to find them. "I'll admit to being afraid, of having no idea what tomorrow might bring, but I need to see this through. If I'm to follow the path, I would have you show me the way. I want _you_ to be the one to lead me through the Revelations." _Yeah…_.I was a complete, and utter moron.

Taweret however, looked as if she was about to faint dead away on the spot as joy lit up her already glowing eyes. "I will do what I can to ease your passage down the path of wisdom and enlightenment, Alex, but what you ask will not be without its share of pain and tribulation. That said, the fact you trust me to assist you in this most sacred of our ways is not something I will squander." It was her plan all along of course, to have this very outcome play itself out, but her praise was genuine and heartfelt as she wrapped her arms around me in a loving embrace. I had just given her all the permission she needed to lead me down the rest of the way to their ideal of 'wisdom', of course she was overjoyed.

In retrospect, I can only say that this definitely ranks in the top five stupidest things I've ever done in all my life and unlife both. I can't recall any of the ones that rank higher and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. The mere thought about how embarrassing that would be is enough for me to ensure eternal silence on the matter. I will say this though, despite how twisted Taweret was, especially with what I had just given her permission to do to me, she did care, in her unique fashion, and as such she didn't start with the harsher of the Revelations. That's probably the only reason I still have any shred of my humanity left.

"It will take a little bit for me to make the arrangements, but this honor demands a certain level of preparation. As such, to celebrate your commitment, I think it's only appropriate we have a little fun." She purred, sending a pleasant chill down my spine that invoked all kinds of….interesting images. If you guessed she planned to push the Revelation of Ecstasy upon me, you'd have won the bet.

But more on that next time.

 **End notes:** _**Nomad-117:**_ _Well, let me start with saying that my silence last chapter was due to my lack of involvement in it. I was otherwise busy so Vergil wrote it on his own. Credit where credit is due. That said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, although if you plan on hosting your own main event, then I am worried about you, just saying. However, this was a perfect opportunity to show that not everything is as it first appears to be. And even those that claim to be good have their own darker sides. Anyway, we decided to remind Alex of her past with this unexpected visit, and hopefully it worked for all of you just as well. Until next time, see you._

 _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Despite Nomad's lack of direct involvement, his assistance was still much appreciated, just as it's always been. As for this chapter though, I couldn't tell you where we came up with the idea for Clara's war beast, only that her appearance and the little demonstration she put on for the Camarilla sadists was very fun to put together. Finding_ _ **Sweet Dreams**_ _by_ _ **Marilyn Manson**_ _was just an added bonus because his brand of crazy, let alone the lyrics, just melded perfectly with the scene as a whole, and made it that much easier to put together. As for Clara and Charles, well, there's a reason for that too beyond what we said in this chapter. Feel free to make your guesses as to what's really going on there. D Anyway, see ya folks and hope you enjoy the next chapter. Peace!_


	13. Revelation Avenue

**Chapter 13: Revelation Avenue**

You're probably getting tired of this crap with the Setites, but believe me, the feeling is very much mutual. Looking back on this point of my life is not something I enjoy, but you wanted to know my story, so unfortunately for both of us, this is a big part of it. It's nearly over though, but as I think I made abundantly clear already, I had just committed the worst mistake of my life. Granted, killing my own mother, even if she and Taweret both pushed, and pushed, and pushed some more until I snapped, ranks pretty high up there for most horrible mistakes I've made. But purposely setting myself up for the rest of those Revelations of theirs? That was just plain stupid on my part, no matter how you try explain why I did so in the first place.

Despite my thoughts on the matter in regards to the religious bull attached to all of this, I might as well tell you why the Setites feel it's necessary to put anyone through their 'paths of wisdom', beyond the fact their Revelations make it far easier to change someone's perceptions as they desire. To put it simply, at least as far as I understood it anyway, the Egyptian gods of old, beings of immense power the Setites call Aeons, made our world to keep us contained so that we would never challenge their power. Our 'prison', the bars of which consist of all of our restraint, morality, and imposed restrictions, among other things, has become our home to the point that the only way we can ever escape is if we're shocked out of our complacency, hence the Revelations are a necessary evil to achieve that goal. At least that's what the Setites believe, especially since once they achieve the level of spiritual ascension the true believers among them strive for, they'd be able to take on the Aeons themselves for control of all of creation. So when a Setite says they want to set someone free, they mean that in a literal sense in a way.

But as I've said, I don't….at least not anymore, believe in all this religious bullshit that is just a fancy excuse to commit their atrocities without any affect on the Setites' rather lacking consciences as a whole. They believe themselves to be doing us a favor in the long run, I say they just needed an excuse to make themselves feel better. Assholes. Still pretty hard to argue with them when you're busy not getting killed by them. Usually that means you're too busy running from them instead of having a civilized discussion. Whatever, doesn't matter now I suppose. It happened, and no amount of complaining is going to fix what happened next, which is why you're really here anyway.

The night proceeded without incident, save for the fact the rumors of our Setite brothers and sisters being attacked by someone or multiple someones had started to spread among the temple's inhabitants. That, and before the night ended after I had all but signed away my soul to Taweret, the first of many new arrivals started to find their way to the sanctuary from dozens of outlying temples across the whole of New York. Word had gotten around that someone was going out of their way to target the Followers of Set, so some of our less able, less prepared Setites, were using our temple as a true sanctuary out of fear of discovery. I noticed, but at first didn't think anything of it, until I heard the stories the new arrivals brought with them.

"Gray haired prick!" That certainly got my attention as I stopped mid stride and looked towards the gathering of angry Setites that had gathered in one of the main halls of the temple. "Three of our brothers were gunned down like dogs before we got away."

"Don't get me started! Some red eyed bitch took my fucking arm!" Was another enraged shout I heard as I looked over the people who had arrived in a hurry. From what I was able to hear, these attacks had been going on for a week and a half, and Taweret had decided to move them all to one location so as to dissuade any attackers. To attack the sanctuary would be nothing short of suicide, or so I believed. Well, I _was_ half right. Attacking the sanctuary would indeed result in a lot of lives lost, on both sides, but it wouldn't be as one sided, I'd find out in time. Furthermore, I would learn a valuable lesson. Because while Taweret certainly knew how to convert people to the Setites' course and make for a charismatic priestess, she had no idea about warfare, a fact which would cost her dearly. But that was neither here nor there, because she still had a couple of months left before she and a lot of our fellow Setites would meet their bloody end.

But at the time, I pushed past the slowly growing crowd of new arrivals, having my own concerns and responsibilities to worry about, even if I knew exactly who it was that had attacked them in the first place. There's not a lot of people that had gray hair or red eyes, among either the Kindred or humans, and the fact I knew them both couldn't have been coincidence. They were looking for me, so in a way, our recent losses were my fault. Yeah, I honestly believed that at the time, so imagine how stupid I feel now in hindsight that I felt anything close to guilty for the Setites' recent bout of trouble.

At that time though, I believed that the Camarilla had sent its executioner after me, along with a manipulative monstrous vampire from LA. Fascinating what a little change of perspective can do to you. Not that I thought about that at that time, no, I wanted, _needed_ , to see Taweret. To apologize for bringing this down on her. Luckily for me, we had only just started to get flooded with new arrivals, so she still had plenty of time to see me as I found her in front of her computer once more, talking to Mark Alistair of all people. After the whole thing with him drugging me, I had expected him to have been six feet under, but he was still alive. That's not to say he hadn't paid for his transgressions however, but that wasn't my concern as Taweret looked over her shoulder at me when I entered her room before giving Mark one last, withering glare. Whatever news she had received hadn't done her mood any favors, or she was also still angry with Mark for her own reasons.

But whatever the reason for her bad mood, I was greatly relieved to notice that it wasn't directed at me in the slightest. That said, I couldn't help but let my eyes fall to the floor at my feet for the very real shame and guilt I felt at having been the cause for all the trouble. "Alexandra, is everything alright? You look concerned." She stated, only making it harder for me to say anything at first.

That didn't stop me entirely though. "I think I know who's coming after us, Priestess Taweret." We had gotten to the point that I only used her title when discussing something important or related to our shared faith. It was a subtle cue then, that this was one or the other, but the tone in my voice suggested, very strongly, that it was the former. Needless to say, Taweret's interest was immediately piqued as I took a steadying breath that I technically didn't need. "I strongly suspect it's Samuel and Sarah. They're looking for me. And until they find me, they won't stop."

Taweret blinked, her brown eyes widened slightly, before she realized what I was truly saying. "Oh you poor girl." She crooned and shook her head even as a smile tugged at her lips at what I had proposed without outright saying so. "This is not your fault Alex. You're merely the excuse they need to hunt us down, not the reason."

I really wanted to believe her, and it would have been so easy and relieving to shed any guilt of these attacks from me. But my mind told me that it wasn't as simple as that. I think deep in my mind I knew that I wasn't an excuse to them, but the very reason for their crusade against the Setites. Not only that, but where Taweret hadn't been able to dig her claws into my admittedly corrupted mind and soul, I was also fairly sure that Samuel was coming to save me, not kill me. But the rest of me silenced that part pretty quick, and did its very best to convince me otherwise. So naturally I felt the need to argue with Taweret. "And if you're wrong, they'll keep coming after us until-"

I should have really been used to her doing what she did, but Taweret put a finger to my lips and silenced me before shaking her head in gentle denial. "I will not sacrifice any of my own to save our own skins, Alex."

But even as she said that there were some Setites that were killed, sacrificed to buy more time. Of course, those weren't just any Setites, Taweret had seized the opportunity with both hands and removed some of the more problematic pieces from the board, so to speak. Not everyone liked Taweret, and as is typical of any organization or cult gathering of the size the Setites have managed to put together, politics are an integral part as anything else. So while she didn't understand war, Taweret _had_ seen a way to remove her opponents by leaving little breadcrumbs to those same people, while ensuring anything valuable they had to their name disappeared to her private stores or were shipped out of the country. The Setites are amazing when it comes to acquiring wealth or finding long forgotten treasure, regardless of its form, so it only naturally follows that they're also able to move it around without much difficulty in an effort to preserve it. Incidentally, that also means that you can use that against them. Their need to possess and preserve these ancient treasures is great, in some cases even purely fanatical. So if you know where to find anything of such value, you can easily lure them into a trap. Even if they know it's a trap, they don't care since all they care about are those relics, provided they are important enough.

But that wasn't on my mind, not in the slightest as Taweret pulled her finger away only to put her hand on my shoulder. "Your intentions are noble, but they are not necessary. Try not to think on it any further Alex. You are far more valuable to me right where you are." I sighed heavily but nodded, even though a part of me still wanted to argue against her, to try and convince her that what I had proposed was the right course for the Setites as a whole. But I didn't, and while at the time I thought otherwise, I am sincerely glad I listened to Taweret in this case. Because the end result was that a lot of Setites were put down later from the simple fact I stuck around, just as Taweret had wanted me to. Poetic justice anyone? All I did was listen to my priestess, it's not my fault the New York chapter of the Followers of Set were almost destroyed to the last snakehead. Snakehead, hehe, 'Jaffa kree!' No takers? Anyone? No? Okay, sorry, nerd moment over, promise.

Anyway, the next few nights went about as you'd expect. I devoted myself to my lessons alongside the rest of the 'first years', for lack of a better term. I further honed my skills in my clan's natural abilities and practiced with Serpentis anytime the opportunity presented itself, I did the occasional job for Taweret as I'd done before, but all the while I kept my ears open for any more news regarding Samuel and Sarah's movements. So far they had only found the most outlying groups of Setites, but I think I knew even then that they'd eventually find their way to the rest of us in time.

A part of me looked forward to it, eager to face the ones that had betrayed me, or so I believed at that time. The more intelligent part of me prayed that they would never find me, because I suspected, very strongly, that if I had to fight them, then there would be no way for me to get out of the fight alive. Even to this day, I'm not a fighter, or at least no where near the level of the others. Toreadors are talkers, not fighters, and while we might be one of the naturally fastest clans out there, that doesn't matter much against the Brujah or the Assamites, just to name two that are far more capable in such situations. Even with my skills in Serpentis, I wouldn't bet on me to come out of a prolonged engagement with all my limbs still attached if nothing else. Unless I'm fighting idiot shovelheads, then I would bet on me. Fighting moronic shovelheads is fun, because winning is easy in that case….unless said shovelheads are true Sabbat, that have lived for a couple decades if not more, then I might have a problem. But I learned a useful trick from Samuel for such situations, wanna know? Alright, overkill. Destroy everyone and everything unfriendly in the vicinity with an overwhelming amount of firepower and you are good to go. Clever, right?

Yeah I didn't think so either, but it does get the job done. Sarah wholeheartedly agrees with the idea though. No surprise there given the simple fact she and Sammy are a thing, but more on that later.

Seriously though, the more time passed, the more we received news about more attacks on our fellow brothers and sisters of the faith, and the more I kept wondering if I shouldn't disobey Taweret and throw myself to the wolves. I wouldn't go quietly by any means, but it was my stupid, foolish hope that by sacrificing myself for the cause, I'd end up doing more good in the long run by sparing the rest of the clan from eventual extermination. But Taweret had other plans, and she could see the indecision and doubt in my eyes anytime we talked. So naturally, she came up with something to distract me. I will say this, as I've said before, I fully believe she cared about me in her twisted way, so in hindsight what happened next wasn't entirely unexpected, but in a way it was the start of Taweret's true downfall because if she truly loved her faith more, as was expected of any true Setite, she would have let me go.

Remember I said she planned to put me through that wonderfully, aptly named Revelation of Ecstasy? Yep, she timed it so that just when I had started to give the stairs that led up to the surface more than a passing glance, she decided to tell me the arrangements were ready and we could proceed at the earliest opportunity. As much as I wanted to make a break for it, to tell her that my sacrifice was the only reasonable way to stop the attacks, I also wanted to believe her when she said that it wouldn't matter if I did or not, that the Camarilla would still come after them even after I was gone. I'm not sure what convinced me to stay persay, but I will say that Taweret might have done too good a job in her efforts to ensure I stuck around, bonded to her like glue as I was. Once more I have to laugh at the sheer irony because it was by her own hand that most of the Setites ended up dusted, but at the time I was truly torn in two over what I believed needed to happen and what I ended up doing.

Finally deciding to stick around, I was instructed not to feed until the appointed time for less than obvious reasons that I'll explain in a bit. As reluctant as I was to listen for the reasons I've stated already, I did as I was told despite the fact that Taweret had timed her request after I had worn myself out to some extent. I had just gotten done with my more physically draining lessons for the night, and normally my habit was to seek out those willing to let me feed on them before taking an hour or so to relax before heading to my next errand. This time though, I didn't, much to the human cultists' confusion when I didn't appear in the dormitories as was normally my habit. And as weird as it might sound, especially given my mindset at the time, I had made friends among the 'herd', so it's painful to admit but I also saw how much they had started to change to match the Setite ideal, and I did nothing to dissuade them.

As for where this particular Revelation was to take place, remember that little gray prison they had kept me in upon my initial abduction? Granted, that room wasn't just for keeping people like me locked away while put through a Revelation of Terror, but when told that was where I was going to be spending the duration of the time as I was guided through Ecstasy, you can imagine my trepidation I'm sure. I didn't exactly have good memories of my time in there, as the whole starving me thing came to mind, but I had nothing to worry about the next time I went in. They had no intention of keeping me trapped, at least not alone anyway, and they definitely had no intention of starving me twice, but Taweret had made it no secret the Revelation wouldn't end until I had gone into a trance. Memories of whatever visions I saw during that time, or not, were up in the air, but it was the trance itself that concerned Taweret the most. It's not unheard of for some people not to remember the visions they experienced when their minds go blank from whatever sensations they were put through, so that in itself wasn't the priority.

So there I was, standing in front of the gold, hieroglyphic double doors, my overactive imagination making it difficult for me to calm myself. It didn't help I was in need of a drink, so my nerves were already stretched, but I was early, having mentally decided that I wanted to get this done and over with so I didn't have to be in that room a moment longer than was absolutely necessary. I could smell the lingering scent of a human, just beyond the doors, but something was different about his smell. I don't know how to describe it, just… different. It was weird, not exactly unnatural but also not something that would happen on its own. Just as curiosity started to win out over any lingering fear and doubt and I started to open the door, I turned when I heard Taweret coming down the statue lined hallway. The spring in her step had returned, and she wasn't alone. Two of our fellow sisters were hot on her heels, just as eager and excited, no doubt because they had been told what would be expected of them, and in typical Setite hopeful fashion, they were more than willing to assist in this depraved ritual.

"You're early, that excited are we?" Taweret purred, her smile all encompassing and her eyes glowing with mischievous delight despite the fact she had called this gathering together to ensure my continued loyalty and obedience. But at the same time, it was a joyful occasion, of a sort, because I had given her permission to do all of this and more in my ill advised desire to put as much distance between myself and the Camarilla as possible. And right now it also served the purpose of getting my mind off the killings of our fellow Setites.

"Something like that." I remember saying, which made Taweret's smile falter somewhat as I flicked my gaze on the doors before looking back at her and her two assistants. "I just want to get this over with. I do not like this room."

Taweret nodded in understanding, and said nothing as she gently pulled me against her body and kissed the top of my head. Once she'd done that though, she cupped my face between her hands and gently forced me to look her in her eyes. "It's going to be alright, Alex. You'll see, soon." She promised, and once more I have to wonder if she sincerely believed her own words as she pulled away just enough so that she could put her arm around my shoulders and guided me the rest of the way into the room before us. "You have nothing to fear from this place any longer. Besides, this place isn't just for the Revelation of Terror, Alex." The words made me remember that it was where newly Embraced among the Setites were taken before they awoke, and it had the desired effect of making me relax, although not completely. Still, it did help as she pushed the left hand door out of our way.

It was then I saw the source of the strange smell in the air. Her request that I not feed suddenly made a lot more sense when I saw a young man, who's face I didn't recognize at all, manacled to the four poster bed by his right foot. Not that the manacle and its attached chain were necessary, he'd been forcefully drugged to the point that he was high as a kite, and he had no desire to go anywhere as he stared blissfully towards the ceiling. I don't think he was even aware of anything around him. His gaze was dreamy but also empty, probably too busy imagining dragons on rainbows or something like that. Still, that didn't stop me from looking at Taweret with a look that said 'really?' I had gone beyond feeling guilty about feeding on some random person on the street, but something about this seemed almost unfair. I guess I was more upset with the idea he wouldn't get anything out of my bite more than the possibility he wouldn't survive the experience.

Like I said, I am not proud of myself for how I felt and acted during that time. But Taweret only chuckled as she and her two companions met my gaze. "Yes Alex, I fully expect you to feed from his drugged shell before we begin. Killed or unconscious, I don't care, but it's not uncommon for the initiate to be….assisted in such a manner, although most initiates are still human at the time. We adapt as the need arises however." Ain't that the truth? I merely nodded in reply, not trusting my voice at the moment because I was afraid that I would say something disrespectful or perpetually sarcastic to the one I viewed as my only true friend during that time.

"Don't be concerned child. Look at him, he was wasting his already short life away long before we brought him here. But by serving us, his life gains meaning." Taweret assured me, before gently taking me by the back of my shoulders and pushing me forward. "So go on, take your fill, and we'll get started." With that, she left a quick, but not so innocent kiss on the side of my neck before letting me go to satiate my thirst. With incentive like that though, I found I didn't have it in me to argue any longer. It helped that the smell of fresh blood made conscious thought hard to hold onto.

So without any further delays I made my way to the drugged man, and slowly lowered myself over him. My teeth softly pierced his neck, and as expected he didn't react at all, too far gone to notice such a small thing like that. I however, wasn't so blissfully unaware. It's true what Catherine had said about diseased blood having a distinctive, sour taste to it, but while this guy wasn't carrying any blood borned diseases, it still had a different, almost foul taste to it due to the level of drugs he'd been given beforehand. The quality of his blood might have been to blame rather than what he'd been given, or it was just me having a slight moral dilemma about the whole thing, but either way, I didn't like it. My dislike became irrelevant however because soon enough, that tainted, drug infused blood had begun to override my inhibitions quite nicely and everything became very, very shiny, to use a common saying from Firefly.

What happened next? As I've done before, wouldn't you like to know? I might include a more detailed accounting at a later date, but honestly, the time spent in that room with Taweret and the twins, I found out later, is pretty hazy overall. I do know however that a…'ahem', good time was had by all, although most of their attention was spent on me for obvious reasons. There can be just as much pleasure had for someone giving such stimulation as the person receiving said stimulation, although I've never been one to just lay back and let someone have all the fun at my expense. ….Right, anyway, what I'm trying to say, very badly, is that it was a….group effort of sorts.

As for how much time passed once that door was shut behind us and I had willingly partook of that young man's drugged blood, I couldn't begin to even guess. But between the three of them, I will say I was more than satisfied long before the trance, and they did succeed in that, was induced, and my mind was 'expanded', to put it in their terms. By that point I remember feeling as if my entire body was one overtaxed, pulled taut nerve. Not that I was complaining since it'd been a month and some change since the last time I had so much as touched myself, let alone allowed someone else do so. Still, I'm fairly certain that if I'd still been in the possession of a working heart, it likely would have gave out on me and I'd have died happy. Or it might have been far easier for them to achieve their goal if I'd still been human, who's to say? I just know what I _think_ I saw when the trance began and the visions began a short eternity later. Time gets funny when you're drugged out of your mind, who knew.

For some godforsaken reason, my drugged, fucked senseless visions had its own personal soundtrack. Over the Rainbow was apparently my trippy music of choice, though I couldn't tell you why, only that the things I saw pretty much ensured I knew I 'wasn't in Kansas anymore'.

Like so many things with the Setites, my warped mind ensured my dreams followed suit as I was taken across the biggest desert I've ever seen in my life. I had no fear of the high noon sun as I flew over the gold sands that stretched far beyond what my eyes could see in every direction, the ancient Egyptian pyramids in the distance. The next moment I was standing inside a musty old tomb, kneeling before a torch lit statue of a man that had an oppressive, awe inspiring aura of terror and power emanating off of its marble surface. Or at least I thought it was a statue, until the stone peeled away and cracked, revealing that it was only a prison for something far older than anything I could imagine or begin to comprehend.

 _Don't look at his eyes!_ Whether it was an instinctual understanding that to meet this dread creature's gaze was to invite disaster, or an outside voice of some kind, I couldn't say, only that I quickly averted my gaze just as the last of the stone prison dissolved. Once it had, I felt rather than saw the entity had since moved, or he'd always been there, before I felt his cold, dead breath on the side of my face. I shuddered in absolute terror because this thing, this _being_ , was far beyond my ability to fight, or resist in any way, and we both knew it. And as much as I wanted to run, I knew it would do me no good in the slightest. He'd catch me long before I started to reach the door, or freeze me to the spot with a mere glance, or just rip my heart out and eat it right in front of me.

" _Unbeliever_." He hissed, his voice sounding as if he were forcing air through shriveled up vocal chords. If he'd been imprisoned for as long as I believed, that wouldn't have been so surprising, but it was the accusatory note in his voice that had my attention. Daring to look up, just a little, I immediately regretted it as a scream threatened to escape me at the mere sight of his face. I _really_ shouldn't have looked because the moment I even glanced up, I only proved my failing faith to this creature, this Antediluvian that called himself a god, and invited that aforementioned disaster on my own head.

For once my imaginings that always tended to be somewhat fatalistic were proven understated as I saw a shriveled up, dried up skeletal face staring back at me, two glowing coal like eyes finding mine. As was true of any Setite worth their salt, I was rooted to the spot by more than sheer terror now as the original Setite, _the_ Set himself, glared with such hatred and disgust that I'm surprised to this day I didn't burst into a cloud of ash. How I knew it was Set, I couldn't tell you, but I knew it was him. I knew it!

Yet despite the very dangerous situation I was in, I just could not keep my mouth shut. "Seeing is believing." 'Sigh'. And you wonder why I have such rotten luck. How I've survived this long, I couldn't tell you, because my mouth always gets me into trouble, yet this time it might have very well saved me as Set cocked his shriveled head to the side, a tuft of red, straggly hair clinging to the top of his skull and just glared, as if in disbelief at this unexpected response to his accusation.

" _You dare challenge your god?_ " He asked, finding it rather amusing despite the fact he has a well earned reputation for having a short temper fueled by his massive pride and egotistical nature. And those stories aren't in the least bit exaggerated. But in that moment, Set must have found my company, as un-Setite like as you could get, vastly preferred than to spending another moment alone in his tomb, even if I was only there in spirit, so to speak. " _You're no true Setite, yet you are the first to find me in thousands of years. What does that say about my children?_ " He asked, although I got the impression his question was rhetorical as he scoffed and shook his head in disgust. " _You are no Setite, yet you're here when countless others have tried and failed. To see how far my own clan has fallen….and they wonder why I have never returned._ " He sighed then before he disappeared.

It was then I realized he'd never been in front of me at all. I didn't even get a chance to turn around before I felt his clawed hand pull my head back by my scalp, and he forced me to look at him upside down, so to speak. The pain was secondary to the pants wetting terror he was bringing to bear on me anew, despite the fact his skeletal face had transformed to something far closer to human. Where once there had been dried up flesh and bone, there was now a pale yet handsome, angular face mere inches away from mine. His eyes still glowed with a hellish, demonic light in the darkened, forgotten tomb, but otherwise he looked like any other vampire I'd come across. Well, beyond the fact he was far older than any other, and thus just as powerful, hence why I was about two seconds away from pissing myself. "You think yourself safe? I could kill you here with a thought since that is all you are at this moment. But you have made it further than the rest of your kind put together, so you will live, little girl. But tell your _priestess_ her time is coming."

Think myself safe? Certainly not, I don't think I was capable of thought in that moment. I was more instinct driven than anything and my instincts told me one thing clearly. _Get the fuck out of here! Warning! Get the fuck out of here!_ Who am I to argue with my survival instincts? So I just accepted it as a good idea. The only problem, I had no idea how to get out of this dream, vision, or whatever the hell it was. That and if you haven't noticed yet, my mouth tends to get ahead of my better sense, especially when I'm terrified out of my gourd. "Sh-should I write this down?"

Set just chuckled darkly before flinging his hand, sending me head over heels, but at least he was no longer threatening to tear my head off my shoulders by my scalp, or just outright scalping me altogether. "Do as you please, but remember this little girl, you are only alive because I allow it. Your fellows won't be so fortunate."

"Noted." I muttered, admittedly not the best thing to say to a would be god, but this is me we're talking about. No sooner had the words left my mouth did I feel what I could only describe as someone tugging on an invisible tether around my midriff before I was yanked out of the tomb, either conjured up by my fevered, overworked mind, or a true vision of Set himself. I couldn't tell you for sure one way or the other, only that when I returned to myself, Taweret was the only one present as she perked up and looked towards me in alarm. Following her gaze, I had to wonder how much had been a dream and how much had been real because my head still hurt as if someone had just yanked on my hair, and not just the dream version of it. I slowly lifted my hand to my throat and was surprised when it felt like I had just touched a bruise. Remembering my tumble across the floor after Set had thrown me away like so much trash, I had to wonder if he'd been able to leave a physical reminder of our conversation behind. Or if Taweret and the twins had been unintentionally rougher during our….time together, than they had meant to be in the heat of the moment.

To this day I couldn't tell you one way or the other what the truth is. I do know one thing however. Set is real. If you ask me if he's a god however, that I can assure you he is not. Like Sarah, my encounter with an Antediluvian, although she only saw said guy's resting place rather than the occupant himself when the Ankaran Sarcophagus was brought to Los Angeles, assured me of one thing despite the awesome power Set has. He is still a flesh and blood being, and as such, he can be destroyed. That said, I wouldn't take a chance and if his tomb is ever found, I'd strongly suggest dropping a nuke right on his doorstep. It'd be the only way to be sure.

But when Taweret asked what had happened, I told her the truth. "I saw him. I saw Set." I breathed out, a mixture of awe and still lingering terror very audible in my voice as I brought my shaking hands up to my face. "I mouthed off to him….what the fuck was I thinking?! I gave a god, a _god_ , lip! Sheesh Alex you never learn!"

I probably should be glad that I wasn't burned on a stake for bad mouthing our god. At that time though I was too busy being afraid and in a state of complete shock to even consider such a possibility. Taweret, to her credit, didn't immediately accuse me of blasphemy or anything of the sort, but my admission still had her reeling back as if I'd hit her myself. "You what?" She asked, her voice sounding distant and far away. When I looked through my fingers that were still over my face, as if hiding behind my hands was going to protect me or something, Taweret plopped herself down next to me and pulled my hands away. She was making a considerable effort to keep her calm, but it was a losing battle on her part. "You...saw _him_? You saw….Set?" She whispered the last, the religious significance not lost on me now as Taweret said his name with such reverence and fear both.

"Y-yeah?" I replied, suddenly realizing that I might have been better off still sleeping off that night's activities. "I think I did." I added a little uncertainly, after all how would you feel if someone just told you that he has seen and spoken to god? Yeah, you either wouldn't believe them, think they're crazy, or think that they are desperate for attention.

In Taweret's case however, she believed me. How could she not? Her entire reason for existing was to bring back Set to this modern age. I suppose that any sign of him would be welcomed by any that truly believed as she did. Thousands of years of indoctrinating people would at long last prove to be worth it. History would vindicate them, or so they believed. Except he seemed fully aware of their activities, and he wasn't happy if my conversation with him was to be taken at face value, so chances were he'd just as happily destroy them then deliver what was promised so long ago. He isn't called the lord of storms, vengeance, and more without good reason.

But despite the fact Taweret was so enthralled by my tale of having met with her god, she wasn't so lost that she couldn't see the truth in front of her, especially when I said something about telling everyone what I had experienced. "No." She told me flatly, which made me blink and look up at her in confusion. "No, we shan't be telling anyone. What would we tell them exactly?" She asked, but didn't wait for me to respond as her hands gently squeezed mine, having never pulled away. "That you had a dream while under the influence? I think not. At best, they'd think me trying to prop up a Setite heroine of sorts, at worst they'd kill us both for doing something so utterly blasphemous in their eyes. No, while I believe you, the others would not be so quick to do so, especially since you're not a 'true Setite'. As if blood should matter over one's faith. Fools. It is no wonder he is so displeased with us."

Well, at least she put her faith above the bloodlines many Setites seemed to cling to in an attempt to prove their superiority. Sure, the Followers are their own clan because of their cursed blood that makes them different from the other clans, but in this I agree with Taweret, despite the fact we're no longer on the same side. Blood doesn't mean a thing. It's the person that matters, not what they are just because they were born one thing or another. Or in our case, just because they were Embraced by one clan or another.

Although try telling that to a werewolf, they don't like us Kindred in the slightest. Like really don't like us as I believe I mentioned once before. Thing is, they're also strong enough to kill most of us Kindred effortlessly or even a whole group of us. They don't mess around, and more often than not, they choose to rip us into tiny little pieces and ask questions never. Not that many Kindred are fond of them either. At best we stay out of each other's way, which serves both sides just fine. If a war ever broke out between us, it'd be anarchy in the streets, and you could kiss the Masquerade goodbye. Then, the dominoes would fall until we were all destroyed by the humans. Personally I think it's the fear of them discovering us that keeps us from doing anything too outlandishly moronic against each other, regardless of what side of the racial divide we fall in.

But at least the Society of Leopold does not discriminate. They hunt all supernatural forces down. Although, according to Samuel, there is one branch which hates vampires above all else. Since they claim that the ability to defy death is something Jesus alone was capable of. They even go as far as to ridicule the other branches, saying that the werewolves and other threats will die in time due to old age, but a vampire could lay in wait for eternity. And they aren't wrong, but what they seem to fail to remember is that most of the other supernatural entities out there can procreate. Vampires can't, we can only take what's already there and twist it to our purpose with the Embrace, meaning we might be parasites, but we aren't the biggest threat out there, not by a long shot.

But as far as Taweret was concerned, the biggest threat was the other Setites and what they'd do to us if they found a suitable excuse. If I talked about what I had seen, that'd be more than an ample excuse for some to put both our heads on spikes. But at the time, I was still a little off my nut from having had such an intense experience, but Taweret understood that too and stayed with me until I had calmed down enough that I'd listen to reason even as I ranted and raved at her that the others needed to know the truth. 'Sigh'. That was the last time I took anything even remotely drug related, pretty much for this very reason, because I either get loopy, or I go full on fanatical nutjob. At least when I was coherent, I was only twisted thanks to Taweret's handiwork. ….Which sounded better in my head now that I think about it. You understand what I'm saying though.

It only took an hour, two tops, but whatever high I was still riding started to fade until I could take a few deep, if unneeded, breaths, and my thoughts slowly stopped racing at the speed of light. Once I had started to recover from the fear induced by Set, and the drugs that had been in my system from drinking from that young man, I sighed and flopped onto my back as Taweret's concerned look finally registered. "How do you put up with me when I'm high as a kite I'll never know Taweret." I grumbled, my right arm over my eyes since I couldn't look at her now that I was back to my old, if twisted, self again.

Taweret only smiled endearingly down at me as she scooted closer to my side on the bed. "You _did_ just go through quite the experience, Alex. Your excitement and fervor can be forgiven given the circumstances." She stated before gently pulling my arm away from off my head. Drawing her legs underneath her, she idly brushed her fingers up my arm. "You're more Setite than most I've had the pleasure to know, Alex. Perhaps even more so than me. Daisy is on her way, but I fear our lesser known bad habits and beliefs, such as the idea that blood matters most, just to name one, will make her….unsuitable for what we are truly about."

While she said that, she seemed to absently raked her fingers through my hair once her hand had moved up my arm. A calming gesture for me. But it only seemed that way, because everything Taweret did, she did with a specific purpose in mind. If you wanted her to do something she didn't plan, you had to utterly surprise her, and with something huge enough to throw her of her game. While my seeing Set hadn't exactly been my idea, it had certainly thrown her off her game, but not for very long as you might have noticed.

To shock her for a prolonged time period, you would have to do better than that. Like causing major damage to everything she built up in New York big. And even then she could compensate in a relatively short time, compared to other people. Still, she was on edge even if she hid it. The merciless attacks by my friends had seen to that. So what she asked next shouldn't surprise you as Taweret continued to run her hands through my hair. "I know I told you that I would not sacrifice any of our number, but these attacks are not getting any better. My stance still holds, Alex, I would not have you go to give up your life, but I would have the attacks ended." She whispered, and leaned down so that our faces were mere inches apart. "Can I trust you to help see that this is achieved?"

"Yes." I said without hesitation. Besides, I had my own reasons for wanting to end both Sarah and Samuel both.

"Good." She purred, and left a little kiss on my forehead before sitting upright once more. "Then I will hope and pray for your success. Take who you deem necessary for the task, but I want this hunter and his Brujah bitch destroyed at the earliest opportunity."

"It will be done." I promised heatedly, the thought of facing those that had betrayed me enough to anger me. If I had paid more attention, then perhaps I would have realised what she was really doing. In the worst case scenario I was killed, as such I couldn't pose a threat to her standing anymore. Afterall, what kind of priestess was she if a newcomer was granted a vision by Set while she did not? Or I removed the threat, and proved myself worthy, and thus useful to her. In my mind though, I was utterly devoted to her, more fool was I, but that shouldn't surprise you by this point.

In any event, Taweret only smiled and nodded, happy with my acceptance of the insurmountable task she had put before me. Win or lose, she got what she wanted at the end of the day, her position secure and safe for another decade or so unless things went completely sideways, but the chances of her not surviving what was coming was quite low since she had survived quite a bit already. She'd slip quietly out of New York if the worst came to pass and rebuild elsewhere, in typical Setite fashion. This place was just that to her, a place, an ends to the means, nothing to get attached to. If she had to sacrifice her entire following, well, so long as one Setite survived to carry on the 'good work' they did, it would eventually be worth the losses, even if said losses would hurt her for a time. She might have been a monster but she wasn't completely heartless, so to speak, well, not counting the fact her heart was likely put in a jar somewhere.

As for me, I do remember looking to the side where that young man had been at the start of the Revelation, but he was no longer there. Seeing my curious glance, Taweret only shrugged. "He was alive when you finished, but I let our increasing number do what they would with him. Who's to say what happened afterwards?"

"Hmm." Was all I said on the matter. It wasn't a concern of mine either way. I had my mission, I needed to get it done, it was as simple as that. So with that, I stood to my feet, collected my discarded clothing, and left that gray room behind. While I walked purposefully and knew what I wanted to do, I actually had no idea how to achieve said purpose. The only 'training' I was graced with had been conducted by Antonio, who was an ass, and he had been more or less useless. Perhaps If I hadn't been so stupid at that time, I would have realized just how little of a chance I truly had. That said, I had done relatively well against those ambushers, despite it being my first fight on my own, so my chances weren't quite as bad as I believed them to be in retrospect. On the other hand, I have seen what both of them a truly capable of when pressed, so perhaps I still overestimated my chances.

Either way, before I could do anything, I needed to find them. Easier said than done oddly enough, but I knew where to start. Once I had gotten myself together completely, my ammo belt and my two guns tucked away in my clothing, I left the temple and got myself a cab to head to Kullman's Diner. I had an 'old friend' to visit, and Tim owed me a favor anyway for fucking us over on that fake hit that had led to us meeting Sarah in the first place. That and I wanted an excuse to look him in the eye before I ripped his heart out with my bare hands for his own part in what had happened since.

Except the cab I had gotten in felt….unnatural to me. The moment the door shut to the unremarkable yellow cab and I was secure in the backseat, I couldn't help but notice something was….off as we started away from the storage warehouse. It didn't hit me until we passed a busy intersection, and I didn't hear so much as a car horn. It was as if I was in a sensory deprivation chamber, rather than a cabbie, yet I could see and hear the driver just fine. As for the man himself, I made the mistake of looking at him with my Auspex. When all I got was a black space where a man should have been, I knew I was in deep shit. It could be worse I suppose, I don't know how, still don't… nah scratch that, I know what would be worse but nevermind that.

I still summed up my thoughts on the matter rather eloquently though. "Fuck my life." I groaned once I blinked and the world returned to what passed for normal during this point in my life.

"Eloquent as ever, cainite." The 'cabbie' replied, his eyes never leaving the road, but I was pretty sure he could see me just fine in the rearview mirror.

"I'm sorry, do we know each other?" I asked, although I knew the answer to my question already because I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered him.

"Perhaps." Was the unhelpful answer, he even seemed to enjoy it, this whole being cryptic and annoying people thing I mean. Wait… perhaps he did know Azazel? Brothers perhaps? What he said next though had my attention as if he had shot a lightning bolt at me. "And what is a member of the rose doing out on a night like this? Seeking something she does not understand, perhaps?"

"And what would you know about it?" I grumbled, in no mood to be debating this with some random cab driver. Too bad for me, this guy had more right to ask than I ever would have guessed at the time.

"I tend to go where destiny wills, and what of you young one? Why are you really out here this night?" He asked, and despite my annoyance and hatred and all the other things I could list off for you, I couldn't help but wonder myself. Why was I really out here? Revenge? Answers? Because Taweret told me to?

"I'm looking for someone." I said instead, even though I wanted revenge and answers as well. But that wasn't all I wanted. "I just want the world to start making sense again." I said at last, softly, tiredly. Things had seemed so clear before I had gotten in that cab, yet a few questions later and I was doubting myself? Perhaps I had deluded myself into thinking I had all the answers already? Or more realistically, I hadn't been thinking about what I was doing in the first place? It had been pretty easy for me to swallow Taweret's supposed truths after all, hadn't it?

It was real easy for the cab driver to pick on my doubt in any case, and continued his line of questioning without pause. "The world, or your life, cainite? They are not one and the same, and only by truly contemplating these questions can you begin to understand yourself."

After a short, uncomfortable silence had fallen between us, I sat up straight in the backseat and even dared to lean forward a little. Despite the strange….whatever was around the cab driver that was giving me the creeps in the worst way, I felt compelled to address him directly. "I guess both, the world has changed since I became what I am now."

"No." He disagreed immediately in his deep, gravely voice. "The world is the same as it always was, merely your perception of it is different." In a way, he wasn't wrong, and a quick glance at his sunglasses covered face said he could see I agreed with him. "You might not have known of the eternal struggle faced by all Kindred, but the world has been this way for ages uncounted."

"I didn't _ask_ to be a part of this." I growled back since like religion, I never believed in destiny or fate or any of that bullshit. I like the idea I'm in control of my own life, so his response naturally had my hackles standing on end.

"Few are, yet you were given the Embrace all the same. What matters now is what you choose to do with what you've been given." He told me as calm as ever. "Besides, is this truly so different than to before? You were born without your consent as well. Your rebirth isn't that different, now is it?" Even now I don't think I could have come up with a clever, or not so clever, retort to that little comment. While it's only a certain point of view, the cabbie had struck a chord, and whatever I had been prepared to fire off in retort died on my lips. The little smile on his face didn't help my opinion of him, but he continued before I could regain any footing. "Will you become lost as so many have before you, cainite? To become nothing more than another shade in these Final Nights? Or will you become something more, as another has before you? These questions only you can answer, but the road ahead of you is fraught with more peril than you know."

"Gee, thanks for the peptalk." I said sarcastically, because it was just what I needed to hear, how difficult it would get. Really motivational. But I will say this for the mysterious cab driver, he knew what he was talking about, as I'd find out later.

"Perhaps." The cab driver allowed with a small nod at the rear mirror. "However, it is the way of things to follow certain paths more often than not, which makes it difficult to leave the known path. Kindred in particular are vulnerable to this. Humans are far more flexible, even if they are physically weaker than our kind."

So he basically said that we were immortal but also lazy? Damn, that's a really bad combination. Imagine going to college with that attitude, you would never finish. But as you might have figured out, the cabbie was dead on the money regarding most Kindred. They are more than happy to fill the roles that are expected of them, even as they kill each other over petty rivalries and perceived wrongs. People like myself and Sarah are rare individuals because we're not content to be shoehorned into what our 'elders' and 'betters' expect of us. We make our own way, or I'd be doing so in the not so distant future.

I just needed to get through my last month and some change with the Setites first. Easier said than done as I sat in silence in the cab after that bit of wisdom, processing what he had dropped on my lap. Eventually I just pushed it to the side and tried not to think about it, but it was in the back of my head now, where it would remain, which was kinda the point as we pulled up to Kullman's Diner and I was let out. When I went to pay the fare, the driver only gave me a mysterious little smile before driving away without a word.

Caine, as I'd find out later, tended to do that. Drop little bits of much needed advice before driving off into the darkness where he's always wandering. That's his real curse, despite what the more religious among the Camarilla would have you believe. He can't settle in any one spot for long. Although I wonder if there is a lonely little clubhouse somewhere out there for him, Lucifer and co. It would explain a lot over the years.

Whatever the case, my desire to tear Tim's heart out and eat it had disappeared, but that didn't mean I still wasn't happy with him either. As before, the hidden passageway into the Nosferatu den opened long before I got to the stairs leading into the lair, and just like before, Tim was waiting to greet me, a much relieved look on his face when he saw me. "You look good Alex."

"Thanks." I replied shortly, which made the smile on his face disappear when he heard the note of disdain in my voice.

He sighed and nodded before stuffing his clawed fingers into his black leather jean pants. "I had hoped the rumor of your disappearance wasn't at all connected to the Setites that have been spotted all over town these past couple of months, but I can see that's not the case kid." Nosferatu, it's no surprise they knew the score better than the other clans since they have their electronic eyes all over the place.

"Glad we could skip the bullshit then Tim." I retorted and started forward, my hand resting on the concealed butt of my Desert Eagle. "If you know about that, then I'm guessing you know where I can find Sammy and his Brujah bunk buddy."

"Yeah." Tim said, although he didn't seem that bothered by my none too subtle threat. "It's rather easy actually." The subtlest twitch in his right hand in his pocket almost had me pulling my magnum on the Nosferatu hacker in front of me, but instead I stayed perfectly still.

Instead, I cocked my head to the side, unaware of the panic button he had just pressed. "Oh? So why don't you tell me, I am a little slow in comparision to you."

"Indeed, your bearing is almost nothing like the Alex I knew." Samuel's voice said from behind me. "Did you really think you could come here without Tim and the rest of the Nosferatu learning about it?"

I whirled around, but couldn't spot him anywhere in the darkened tunnel I had just come from. When he spoke next his voice came from an entirely different direction. "You want to meet? Gladly, I've been looking for you. Come to the abandoned hospital, it should be ghost free by now. There we can talk."

"Why? Scared?" I hissed out still searching the shadows for a sign of the elusive human. When Tim pointed to a speaker embedded in the wall of the tunnel, as well as a camera right next to it, I had my answer. I shouldn't have been surprised honestly. Samuel was always the smart, tactical thinker of the two of us.

The sigh I got in response seemed to be… dissapointed? But instead of answering my question he merely replied in a tired tone of voice. "Come to the hospital, you'll see."

"Yeah, we'll see alright." I shot back and turned on my heel to start walking away from Tim. But before he could disappear, I had one last piece of advice for the ugly bastard. "Don't think I haven't forgotten your role in this Tim."

"Yeah, I figured you'd say that. Honestly I can't blame you for hating everyone, not after I got a glimpse of you at that shit show the other Kindred call the Main Event. We'll see how you feel after you talk to your real friends again though kid. You're the only Toreador I like, I just hope she's still in there somewhere." Tim replied before he disappeared completely, utilizing his natural gifts with Obfuscate to make it impossible for me to track him down.

"I already know who my real friends are." I retorted heatedly and once more began to leave his lair.

"Are you so certain?" Was the ominous question Tim gifted me with in parting. Although I knew he wouldn't be within shooting range, having no doubt slipped away already, it didn't stop me from turning around, pulling my magnum, and shooting the place where he'd been standing. As expected, I hit nothing but air, but it still made me feel a little better in sending a very clear message to the bastard. I heard nothing else from Tim that night as I stalked out of Kullman's Diner and got myself another cab, this one thankfully with a cabbie that didn't feel the need to talk my ear off the whole way to the hospital where we had met the appropriately nicknamed Nurse Ratchet and her goons.

Shoving the fare at the guy without a word, I started towards the ominous building once more as the cabbie drove away behind me. I didn't care about him in the slightest, he wasn't a part of this, and as such, he didn't even rate more than a passing thought in my mind as I tore off the front door that still stood after our last visit. "Where are you hiding Samuel?!" I yelled as I stalked into the mostly empty main floor, avoiding the hole that we had accidentally created upon our first visit.

A soft clap gave me a clue, though I had no doubt that he wanted me to find him. Arrogant, to think that he could just lure me into a net and kill me like that. I angrily walked towards the noise until I reached a huge room, where half rusted, rotted tables were strewn across the floor. And at the windows in the centre of the moonlight stood Samuel with his back to me.

"I knew you would come, eventually." He told me and turned around, his face shrouded in shadows, the light of the moon shining into my eyes making it impossible to spot more than the outline. Not that I needed to, if he thought that would dissuade me, he would be sadly mistaken. I activated my Auspex… and got a shock. His aura was… disturbingly empty, there but like a part of it was simply cut off or locked away. I couldn't get a clear read on him. "Surprised?" He asked, confirming the fact he knew what I was doing. "You shouldn't be. Regardless of what you may believe, I didn't lie to you."

"Right, of course you didn't. I'm certain that you had absolutely nothing to do with Eliza's death. _Deputy_." I hissed out anger spewing forth with every word.

"Deputy? Ha, I wonder who told you that?" Samuel chuckled humorlessly. "Your new _friends_? I have to wonder, what did they do to gain your trust after kidnapping you."

"Besides show me how you mercilessly gunned down several Kindred like they were animals? Not much." I quipped.

"I'm disappointed." He told me with a small shake of his head. "I told you that I used to be a member of the Society of Leopold, did you think I would just forget what I've seen there? Although one question… did you bother to ask how they came across such footage, or did you just believe them?"

"I don't hear you denying it either Sammy." I snapped, but he had a point, I just didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me doubt myself again. I knew what I was doing, or so I kept telling myself even as those same questions started to come back to the surface. Those days after Taweret had shown me the videos in question had led to me asking myself similar questions, until I left and started my descent into madness.

"Why should I deny it? It happened, before I met you and after you got kidnapped. If I were to guess you witnessed how I dismantled a Setite cell in search of you." He told me eerily calm, apparently unbothered by the fact that he had killed people. "This ends tonight, Alex. All of it, all those lies. I won't kill you, I'd never hurt you, but I won't let you become like them. You'll thank me later."

"Don't count on it." I spat and in my anger, I didn't even think of drawing my magnum. I simply charged at him. My last encounter with humans as well as the time I had spent amongst the Setites left me a little arrogant, believing that there was no way for a human to stand up to me. I was wrong.

I was still moving through the air when Samuel had already moved, he grabbed my outstretched arm and used my own momentum against me and threw me across the room. "Who trained you?" He asked as I picked myself off the floor. "There was no technique, only rage. What did I do to you to deserve such hatred?"

"Figure it out!" I yelled back. Celerity came naturally to me at this point, and time slowed down to a crawl. Except I wasn't up against a normal human, and Samuel proved it all too clearly to me when I saw his aura go from empty, gray, dull, to overwhelmingly bright with white light. It threw my concentration off completely, and once more, he picked me up, this time by the front of my throat, before slamming me down on the floor, hard. It hurt, a lot, but other than the actual impact with the concrete, I hadn't suffered any damage exactly. Nothing I couldn't shake off, but that wasn't the point. I couldn't move, not with his hand around my throat, and he was strong. Far stronger than I had expected.

To my surprise, he stood up and looked down at me for a moment, his damned face still shrouded in shadows. "I don't want to hurt you. Stop this, all I ask that you hear me out."

"Never!" I spat, attempting once more to get the jump on him. He easily sidestepped my brutish charge and with a few precise, pinpoint attacks against my arms and legs, disabled my motor functions, at least temporarily. To make matters worse he tossed me a few feet away, and with no way to shield myself, I smashed face first into the ground. When I could move again and looked up, he stood a few feet of, silenced pistol aimed at my face. And for the first time since this confrontation started, I could see his face, or half of it through the moonlight. Regret was the only emotion visible on his face. Even though his eyes had this dead look in them, which I noticed was linked to the his empty aura.

I barred my fangs at him, daring him to shoot, to prove me right, to reveal himself as the traitor. He did nothing of the sort. Instead I heard a soft 'click' as he put the safety on and dropped the gun to the ground. His arms hanging by his sides, no longer in a combat ready stance. For a moment I thought someone had knocked him out from behind like in the movies, but then he began speaking. And while he did so, the emotions returned to his eyes.

"It's like I told you Alex. I trust you. Do what you think is right." I was stunned.

But not for long. Slowly standing to my feet despite the beatdown he'd given me just a few moments ago, I was surprised to find I was able to do that much at all. "That's it? Suddenly you decide to just give up? Where's the catch?" I asked suspiciously and narrowed my eyes. "Don't you think I could decide to just kill you?"

"There is always that possibility I suppose." He conceded with a calm that I still think of as unnatural. "But what's my life in comparison to that of a friend? A sister? If I have to choose which one of us walks out of here… then I would much rather have it be you. Because even if you return to the Setites… well you'll live forever so everyday there is a new chance of you getting freed from their clutches."

"Well that's not good enough for me." I never got a chance to turn before Sarah's fist found my jaw. Being hit by Samuel had hurt, but he'd held back his punches for the most part. Sarah on the other hand wasn't having any of my bullshit a moment longer, and made sure I knew it when I was sent flying off my feet as if a wrecking ball had hit me. "You mess up my boy's face, and you and me are having words, snake eyes." It was the last thing I remember hearing as my world went black, and I fell unconscious.

I do remember seeing Samuel giving Sarah a look that said, 'did you _really_ have to hit her that hard?' before my head finally fell flat and I was oblivious to what happened next. Even then, he showed he cared about me, in his unique fashion anyway.

 **End Notes:** _ **Vergil1989**_ **:** _Well, you guys asked for it, and you have received. Samuel and Alex, duking it out, although admittedly it was pretty one sided overall, but I think we knew that'd be the case from the start. As for what happened before, well, this is the end of Taweret's reign over Alex, or at least the beginning of the end. This is when things start to go back to the way they were. While she might not be the same person anymore, she'll certainly be a lot closer to her old self than she's been in the last few chapters. That's not to say the road ahead won't have a few more twists, but by and large, this is the beginning of her recovery, if that makes sense._

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Hey folks, so what do you say to our latest chapter? I hope we put enough unexpectedness into it. I mean we got Set, Caine, Tim and Samuel and Sarah are back again. Which begs the question, what will happen now? Of course it won't be as easy as saying, "Friendship is Magic" and everything is fine again. No, it's gonna be more difficult than that. And I hope just as enjoyable as the other chapters so far. Until next time, See ya._

 _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Indeed. See ya folks, and hope you continue to shower us with your continued support. We love to hear what you think. D Anyway, adios._

 _One last thing though. We MIGHT, although I haven't decided for sure, include 'unedited' chapters for the more….explicit stuff that we've done with certain characters lol. If you want to see what we can hopefully come up with, cool, otherwise we'll keep to this and let your imaginations do the rest for the more 'fun' stuff lol. Anyway, adios folks!_


	14. Victorus Aut Mortis

**Chapter 14: Victorus Aut Mortis**

I know I said that I had at least another two months with the Setites, and despite the fact I ended the last chapter with my capture by Sarah and Samuel, that still holds true. What I didn't explicitly state is _where_ I would be during that time frame. I didn't state that I was actually, physically with, my fellows in the cult, now did I? If I learned anything, beyond some tricks with Serpentis and more than my share of their religious dogma, it's how to lie without outright doing so. Ironically the skills I learned while with the other snakeheads probably saved my hide more than once since. Toreadors _are_ talkers after all. And no one expects an Eyes of the Serpent spell the first, and more often than not, the last time, especially if I fire one off right in my opponent's face. Imagine the look of shock on some Sabbat idiot's face when the tables suddenly turn. Heh, good times.

But again I allow myself to get sidetracked. Funny how often that happens to me. Perhaps I got some Malkavian blood in me, despite the claims that such a thing is impossible. It would certainly explain why Juliet is so fond of me. Meh, doesn't matter I suppose, you'd have to be crazy to deal with half the shit I'd been through, or you'd end up partially off your rocker because of that same stuff. Either way, my possible insanity is warranted, no matter how you choose to look at it.

In any event, I was slow in waking after Sarah cold cocked me right in the face. Not that you could blame me I imagine, she's a suped up version of what most vampires are capable of at that age. Although if my head didn't feel like it was about to break apart, I might have noticed the differences between her and Samuel's fighting style. She used her overwhelming power and her speed to her utmost advantage. She was a very experienced brawler, but she had been at the center of what would later become a full blown clan war, so she had had to learn real quick to defend herself in order to survive. Samuel however used his surprising agility to always stay in motion and to attack his enemies at their weak points. He was a melee sniper to Sarah's brawler shotgun, so to speak. Different tactics perhaps, yet both had equally devastating results, which resulted in me feeling like I had gone ten rounds with Antonio all over again. I hurt _everywhere_ , despite the fact my actual injuries amounted to a lot of bruising up and down my body. The only thing that had been broken was my jaw from where Sarah had hit me, and that had healed up during my impromptu nap.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up, snake eyes." Sarah quipped, her arms crossed under her substantial chest as she stood not ten feet away from me. I was up in a flash, only to hit what I at first thought was an invisible wall with my face. It turned out to be a glass barrier, something strong enough to resist my efforts to smash it apart. Pity, I had hoped to accuse them of 'cursed witchcraft', oh well probably better this way. "Don't bother trying to break your way out, Alex. You'll just embarrass yourself."

"Come in here and say that to my face without this glass wall between us." I snarled, looking the part of a lion in a cage as I paced the length of my latest cell.

"You sure you want that? Your jaw still looks kinda blue." Sarah chuckled as she idly swung her right leg in front of her before once more standing stock still in front of the glass between us.

Damn, she got me there. I had no idea how to respond to that without further embarrassing myself. I mean, I knew that I had no chance at beating her, so the only thing that could come out of a little sparring with her would be my little cell splattered with my blood. That didn't mean I wouldn't have enjoyed trying to knock her teeth down her throat. Instead of answering the challenge, I decided to go another route. "So you have me locked up in here, what happened? Run out of gas station attendants to suck dry?" Low blow on my part, but it felt good at the time to see Sarah's smug smile disappear in a flash.

But the rise I had hoped to get out of her didn't stick. Instead, Sarah took a breath and just shook her head while the rising anger in her red eyes disappeared just as quickly. "Samuel said you had likely been fed a lot of bullshit, but I didn't expect this, Alex. They _really_ did a number on you didn't they?" I don't know what pissed me off more, the sympathetic tone in the Brujah's voice, or the fact she had the audacity to pretend to understand what it was I was going through. It turned out she knew better than I might have realized, although her experience was more second hand than direct as mine had been. "To answer your accusation though, it's real easy to lose your mind to the Beast when you've been injured. I was hurt, trying to help Sammy to find _you_. You could be just a _little_ grateful."

" _Grateful_? All you two ever did was lie to me, use me, and you want me to be _grateful_?" I asked incredulously, unable and perhaps even unwilling to believe that they were truly my friends and had searched for me as they claimed. "What's next? Rip off my arm and expect me to be _grateful_ for it?"

"Hmm, no, but that I'd do for free." Sarah quipped and shrugged her muscular arms in response. The utterly bored way she delivered the threat was what clued me into the simple fact she would do so if given the proper incentive.

"Enough." The soft order was enough to silence both of us, as Samuel strode into the room. "We didn't bring you here to fight. I would have preferred to take you without violence, but certain events forced my hand."

"You mean your bitch knocking me out." I deadpanned as I cocked my hip to the side and stared daggers at Samuel even as I fought against the words he had said before I had been knocked out cold.

"Language." He admonished and shook his head once again, seemingly disappointed. "Tell me Alex, have you taken the time to listen to yourself in the past few weeks? I doubt that you would recognize much of your former self anymore."

"That's kinda the point of what they do Sammy. From what I was able to dig up on our snakehead problem." Sarah chimed in, and shrugged once more when Samuel turned to look at her. "Beckett, a Gangrel I know from LA, owed me a favor. He owed me a few actually. I had him do some research for me."

"That may be, but I am curious. Alex, are you aware of what happened to you? Did you choose this path willingly?" Samuel asked and I thought that I could detect of pleading in his voice.

I sighed and shook my head, since this much I could admit to willingly. "No, not at first at least." And it _was_ the truth. I hadn't asked to be a part of the Setites, not at first. But you know how that went, so I won't bother to retell the story at this point as I glared up into Samuel and Sarah's respective faces. "But then Taweret showed me just how fucked up the Camarilla is. I didn't need much incentive after that. Ever been to the Main Event?" I spat out the question.

"I can't say that I've been there before." Samuel admitted with a frown. "I _have_ heard rumors, nothing concrete though. I suppose they don't want a human like me to know too much about it."

"Tsk, right. Well you might want to ask your buddy Charles about it sometime." I shot back and rolled my blue eyes in contempt at his feigned ignorance, or so I believed. "It's basically the Kindred's way to continue the old gladiatorial games of ancient Rome, they just throw their ghouls at each other and see who can murder the other in as gruesome a fashion as possible. In fact, I saw Charles during the sick gathering, and Clara. Apparently they're a thing."

"Ugh. I think I just threw up in my mouth." Sarah grimaced, for once in complete agreement with me oddly enough. As I've said once before, the Brujah had ran afoul of a Tzimisce back in LA, so she knew all too well what they were capable of. As such, her disgust of any Tzimisce being in a relationship of any kind was well founded.

"Where is this Main Event?" Samuel asked, likely in a hope to get the conversation back on track as he narrowed his eyes. "And when did you see Charles there?"

"Why do you wanna know?" I shot back, unwilling to give him all the answers he desired so easily.

"Well, if it truly is as vile as you claim, then it should be shut down." He told me, as if it should have been obvious. "As for Charles, I like to learn everything about my enemies that I can."

"So what….you're trying to say the night I called you, that you weren't meeting with the bastard?" I asked, hoping to throw him off his game. When Samuel's face twitched ever so slightly, I knew I had him. "Yeah….I thought so." I snorted and shook my head in disgust.

"Well, you wanna hear the story, or do you prefer to cling to the story the Setites fed you?" He asked, and managed to sound polite despite the wording of his question.

"Personally I think you're wasting your time." Sarah muttered, but was largely ignored by the both of us until she decided to open her mouth again. "It's pretty obvious whatever they did to her isn't going to go away so easily Sammy."

"Easy? No, I didn't think it would be easy." Samuel told her with a small shake of his head. "I had just hoped to see more of the Alex I knew. I don't think I want to know what they did to you to change you so much in so little time." The last part was once again directed at me.

"I could describe it in detail if it would get you to shut up." I muttered, but if my half hearted threat had any effect on Samuel, he didn't visibly respond save to sigh and shake his head.

"That won't be necessary. Besides, I can guess. In a way, the Society of Leopold aren't so different I imagine, they just don't kidnap people…..most of the time." He added as an afterthought and shrugged before he started forward. While his pace to the glass wall between us was slow, it wasn't long before he was standing in front of it and I could count the number of worry lines on his forehead. Those hadn't been there before, had they? I couldn't remember, but I didn't get a chance to ponder for long. "If you're still interested… well, I met with Charles to fix our little mess."

"You have me _captivated_ already, why stop now?" I quipped despite the fact Samuel looked older, much older, than I could recall from the last time we had talked. As if ten years had passed instead of only a month and some change, going on two. That said, I did my best to hide my thoughts from my face as I flicked my blue eyes to the barrier between us for emphasis as to what I truly meant, not that he needed the clarification. As for his reasoning for meeting with Charles, I had to admit, begrudgingly, that it made sense.

But I wasn't about to tell him, or Sarah, that. I was still very much riled up, and if you haven't caught on yet, my attitude isn't exactly stable in the best of times. Being knocked out and dragged to some kind of glass fish bowl certainly qualified as more than enough reason to be pissed off. I only glared, but I wanted to shout at him, to curse him in both English and ancient Egyptian both, having learned my share during my time with Taweret and the Setites. But I did nothing except glare daggers at the vampire hunter.

"What would you have me say? A lie that you had no trouble accepting? I'm afraid I can only offer you the truth, as harsh and ugly as it may seem." He told me quietly, his eyes far away as if this reminded him of something from long since past. "I know we hadn't known each other long Alex, but do you remember the last thing you said to me?" He asked after a pregnant pause had formed between us. I couldn't keep up my silent glaring as memories of that club and our last conversation flashed through my mind. He took my silence for what it was and nodded, a flicker of a hopeful gleam filling his gray eyes. "Do you truly, without a doubt, think me so rotten that you can't even listen to what I have to say?"

I didn't say or do anything right away, because I knew, deep down, just as I knew he and Sarah had been coming after the Setites to save me, that he was telling me the truth. That he'd always been truthful with me, even as he kept things secret about himself to protect me rather than keep me in the dark. But Sarah was right, it wasn't going to be that easy, not by a long shot. When I looked up, and met Samuel's gaze, I called on Serpentis, and my eyes became slitted once more. Even the ever prepared vampire hunter had no ready comeback for it as he was frozen on the spot. "How's that for an answer?" I growled, but my victory was short lived, because Sarah was already heading for the controls to the cell.

"S-stop!" I blinked, surprised that he could talk at all, and Sarah stopped to stare at the rigid gray haired hunter between us. "D-don't open that door." He ordered her, before giving a grunt of effort as he broke free. "She caught me off guard. I didn't exactly expect that." While I was no master with the spell in question, not by a long shot, I was still surprised he was able to shake off its paralyzing effect with such ease. Despite the attack, his little hopeful smile remained as he dusted himself off, more to work off the lingering paralysis I figured. "Neat trick. I'll admit I hadn't expected you to be that strong in their fabled Serpentis. But you just gave me something else to adapt to, when we eventually take the fight to these bastards anyway. In the meantime, I offer you a choice, either you can stay in there, glare at us, and refuse to listen to us at all, or we can talk and perhaps I'll even answer some of your questions about myself."

With a lazy swipe of his left hand he brushed some of his hair out of his eyes, but that wasn't what caught my attention. As he did so, his sleeve traveled a little upwards his left arm. Not far from his wrist began the scarring. I never had seen scars like this before. "In that case, what's that?" I asked him and nodded at his left arm. He followed my gaze before smiling sheepishly, even though he smiled, I could see a hint of discomfort in his gaze.

"Fair enough." He told me and pulled up his sleeve, the entirety of his left arm was scarred in the same manner, only his hand had been spared. I think the fact Sarah looked away told me more than he did even as he began to explain how he got the burn scars in the first place. She had seen them at some point, and while she didn't look at Samuel in disgust, it was clear she knew the story as she took her spot back against the right wall. "That's what happens when you burn and lack vampiric healing. Nasty scars aren't they? Hardly attractive."

"I didn't mind so much." Sarah mused, but I ignored her. My attention was elsewhere.

"What happened?" I pressed, now more curious than anything despite my still lingering hatred of the two people in front of me.

"Oh I don't want to bore you with the details, but there was a lot of cursing, wailing and crying involved." He told me with a nonchalant shrug. "If you're curious, it's not just my arm. The better part of my left side is like that."

My initial reaction was to protest at the lack of information, but then my brain caught on. He had used this phrase once before, when Sarah, he and I were talking about our introduction to the supernatural world he had used the exact same phrase. _A lot of cursing, wailing and crying involved, that's what he said._ I thought, a slight widening of my eyes the only indication that I noticed something in the first place. "What happened, exactly, Samuel?" I asked at last softly, as if I were afraid that whatever connection had started to be restored between us would be broken if one of us spoke too strongly or something.

"You sure you want to know? Because not every story has a happy end, sometimes the hero dies." He told me unblinking, perhaps curious how much I truly wanted to know this.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know, even if I still hate your guts right now." I replied honestly. It didn't mean I'd believe him, but I _needed_ to know. That's my weakness, as you might have noticed. My curiosity always gets me into trouble as surely as my mouth does.

"Very well." He said with a shrug and leaned back a bit while tugging his sleeve back down. "But first let me give you some context. I told you how both my biological parents couldn't or wouldn't take care of me, right?"

"Yeah." I responded with a small nod, wondering where the hell he was going with this. I remember him saying that his dad had never been in the picture, and that his mother had died in childbirth, with him no less. In that sense we weren't so different, except it had been the other way around, although my dad had been in the picture until I had turned eighteen. And my mother….well, you know that part already.

"And I also told you how I was adopted at an early age. Well, believe it or not my childhood was mostly normal. Nothing special, really. Although I was allowed to stay up longer than most children my age, and I only saw my adoptive parents at night. Care to take a guess as to why?" He asked me without any humor present in his voice.

I blinked, having not expected this little revelation at all, especially after what Taweret had made sure I saw underneath Lady Liberty. "They… were Kindred?" Sarah didn't react at all, only further proving my suspicions that she knew this story already.

"Yeah, never really did get to talk with them about it. My best guess is that mom was a Ventrue. Always had this noble air about her, but she was kind, despite the airs she often put on. Well, thing is she wanted to have children before she got Embraced, but she wasn't able to due to some health issues or something, I never did figure out the truth. Afterwards, the traditional way wasn't an option anymore in any event. Dad, no idea what he was, perhaps he was Toreador, or a Ventrue as well. Certainly got along with mom well enough. He loved me like I was his own son. I most certainly can't complain about my treatment by them. They never drank from me if that's what you're about to jump to. They only wanted to experience what so many couples do on a daily basis." He told me with a wistful look on his face, a small smile forming as he remembered happier days. "You following so far?"

Despite my best efforts, a slight tremor had found its way into my voice. "Y-yeah." I remember saying, and nodded, allowing Samuel to continue with his story.

"Good." He nodded and his smile faded. "Well thing is, in our neighbourhood were a few Sabbat morons roaming around. And as you know, they aren't much for subtlety or even the Masquerade."

I nodded, having seen as much in my few confrontations with them and from what I'd been told. To be honest, if at some point the rest of the world learned about our existence, I would blame the Sabbat. No matter what you might say about the rest of the clans and political parties out there, it's the Sabbat that do the most damage because they just don't give a damn. As such, it'd be safe to assume they'd be the ones responsible for what would follow if the truth was ever discovered.

"Thing is, they went out one night, killed a few people. Sucked them dry and left them lying around. Didn't take the local newspapers long to publish stories about some vampire like killings." He told me and smiled bitterly. "Mom and dad were very concerned about this, naturally. At the time I thought it was just that they worried that one of them or I would be the next victim, and they _were_ worried about me being next, but that wasn't the only thing on their minds."

"What was?" I asked despite myself. I wasn't even aware that I had spoken until Samuel looked at me.

"What do you think happened, Alex? Out of curiosity, what do you think happened?"

I thought back to his reaction to the Sabbat, his genuine disgust of them and shrugged. "I'd say the Sabbat killed your parents, didn't they?"

"Indirectly, yes. The Sabbat have a nasty habit of doing more than simply killing humans for sport. Think about it, killings, vampire style. The Sabbat move on to another neighbourhood, and the investigating vampire hunters find two Kindred living in the vicinity." Samuel told me quietly and looked me in the eye despite my little trick with Serpentis, and even more surprisingly, I could detect hints of tears in his eyes. "What do you think happened? And more importantly, what do you want? The beautiful lie, or the painful truth?"

"Tell me the truth." I told him quietly, and even though I didn't trust him at the time, I still knew that his emotions were genuine. Auspex, like so many powers, can be problematic. It can be in use and you won't even realize it, and in this case, Auspex was giving me a glimpse behind Samuel's 'mask', so to speak, so I knew with absolute certainty that he was telling me the truth.

"In war, preparation is the key to victory." He told me, sounding like he was reciting something he had learned long ago, a bitter laugh escaping him. "So they did the best thing they could think of to get rid of the two vampires. They set their house on fire… during the day." A little gasp escaped me at that, but Samuel continued onward, unabated. "Either they stayed inside and burned to death, or they would try to escape and the sun would do the rest. It was before noon. It was on a holiday, so I was still in bed when the glass broke and the fire spread. Smoke was rising everywhere, I was scared so I ran. But no matter where I went, there were more flames… My pajamas caught fire, I didn't get them off before I got some mild scarring. Afterwards the fire that spread did the rest of what you've seen. I would have died, but my mother found me, my dad had already died by then, burned to get my mother to me. She managed to carry me outside only to burn while she carried me."

I wanted him to stop by then, I really did. I never got along with my mother, but he obviously had had better luck than me in that regard and to make him relive that was just an unnecessary cruelty, but he didn't stop. In retrospect I'm glad he didn't, because this was having the desired effect of getting me back to something close to my old self. It'd still be a long road, but this was the start.

"I lay there, in the soft grass of our little garden. Naked, burned, and bleeding. I cursed, wailed and cried. Mostly in my mind while I lacked the strength to do so out loud. As I lay there, I could literally feel my life ebbing away and I would have died... but someone was there to get me to safety, someone I knew was a friend of the family, despite the fact they were a little….questionable in regards to their sanity. One of Juliet's friends, and ghouls, had been sent to collect me per her orders. I was gone by the time the firefighters arrived, but I don't remember much after that, until I woke up in Juliet's living room, an IV drip full of her blood hooked up to my arm." He concluded with a weary sigh, and blinked a few times to get his unshed tears out of his eyes. "Not that I felt much of it, to this day the nerve endings in my left side are… dulled. Don't feel much there anymore."

Sarah had since moved to his side and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but otherwise remained silent. I couldn't stay silent though, and shook my head before saying two little words. "I'm sorry…." Samuel managed a weak smile in response before another tired, weary sigh escaped him.

"It happened a long time ago Alex, but...it's still not easy to talk about." I nodded, having no way to argue against that even if I had wanted to. Samuel offered me a weak chuckle in response as he rubbed the back of his neck once Sarah had let her hand drop from his shoulder. "I will say this though, I got a rare glimpse at a Malkavian's….insight, as I rode the crazy train until her blood left my system that had since healed the worst of my burns. Potent stuff Kindred blood, especially a Primogen's, but Juliet and her eccentric buddies kept me safe during that time. Afterwards, whatever craziness that was left was my own, having just lost my parents and all."

I nodded, unable to form a coherent sentence together after that. What could I possibly say? Instead I sighed and looked away, unable to hold Samuel's gaze a moment longer. Sarah was also quiet, but I could see in her eyes she was just as affected by the story despite having heard it once before. There was a major loophole in his story however, one I was all too eager to point out, albeit without my earlier fury induced fervor. "So, vampire hunters killed your parents, and you turn around and joined them later in life?"

Samuel crossed his arms and nodded, acknowledging the fact that it did indeed seem rather odd, but he had an answer for that too. "You're not the only one that has had the desire to get answers, Alex. I wanted answers, I wanted to understand why they went after my parents, my family. So I sought them out when I was older. It's how I got involved with the Society of Leopold, but as you can guess, I wasn't in it to hunt every supernatural creature out there. I was there to hunt the same people that thought it was alright to burn innocent people, they just didn't know it yet." After what he had told me, I couldn't blame him, and the fact that he'd been through something similar wasn't lost on me.

It was also for that reason that I found it rather hard to swallow. It was true, his story, all of it, the parts he had told me anyway, but in my current state of mind, I couldn't believe it so easily. Or I didn't want to, because that would mean we had a lot more in common than I was comfortable with for that same reason. "So let me see if I got this right." I began, and once more started to pace the length of my glass box. Well, half a box, since the other three walls were steel or something. Didn't matter, only that I started to pace again as I took apart Samuel's sob story. Yeah….I'm not happy with my thought processes either. "You expect me to believe all that? Granted the...burn scars are hard to argue against, but the rest? Taweret might be many things, but at least she had evidence to support her claims about you both."

" _Evidence_ that she used to turn you inside out apparently." Sarah muttered darkly before she pushed away from the wall. Samuel wisely stepped aside as the Brujah moved to stand in front of the glass barrier, her red eyes glowing as she tried to contain her growing rage at my continued denial of what was right in front of me. "He just spilled his guts, told you what happened to him as a kid, a _kid_ , and you say that you don't believe him? God I heard you were stubborn, but I didn't think you were stupid!"

"Says the Brujah that just can't keep her temper in check when she gets so much as a papercut." I shot back. I didn't jump when Sarah punched the wall where my head was behind the glass barrier. I just glared daggers at her, too stupid and arrogant in my belief in Taweret to back down. "Thanks for proving my point."

"You're so eager to go a few rounds, you wouldn't survive two seconds." Sarah retorted with a derisive shake of my head. "As for your priestess friend, you want evidence, I'm sure I can find something very easily, to make you see reason, _real_ reason. Not whatever they filled your head with."

"I for one am curious about this _evidence_." Samuel said with a small snort. "I already told you why it wouldn't be hard for her to find footage of me killing her men. Aside from that, what evidence does she have that I'm the deputy, beyond that little snippet of me meeting up with Charles to clean up our fake hit? And that's all it was, Alex. I want to help you find Eliza's killer as much as you want answers for the same thing. You're not making that easy though."

"Funny, she promised the same thing. The only difference is that she isn't working _with_ the enemy." I snapped back, not about to get into this conversation a moment longer than I had to.

"And did she make any headway?" Samuel asked without missing a beat. I opened my mouth to shoot him down, but instead I shut my mouth just as quickly because, weirdly enough, Taweret hadn't made any discoveries whatsoever regarding Eliza and her murder in the slightest. At least, she hadn't talked to me about it if she had, and the reason should be obvious by now. She needed a way to control me that she knew would work when all else failed. "Strange, I would have thought you would have found the murderer by now. After all the Setites' network is nothing if not extensive." Samuel chimed in, a knowing smirk on his face when my silence was just a little too long to be anything but what it was.

"You attacked us! You can't tell me that this wouldn't put pressure on us! No wonder she can't look for Eliza's murderer." It sounded good at the time, and in a way it wasn't wrong. Except nothing's ever that easy.

"If it were that easy." Sarah chuckled sardonically. "You see at first we tried to beat it out of them, doesn't work with fanatics. Afterwards they started to shadow us, which we took offense to. And then, well Sammy had this really good plan."

"Indeed, although I don't think I should tell you. After all, you are still working with our opponents. Can't have you tell them what I've planned now can I?" He asked rhetorically and shrugged.

"So, what _can_ you tell me?" I asked in challenge. After being locked in here for a short time, I was already getting impatient and would have gladly heard any kind of information. I still have a strong dislike of being locked up in small rooms, as you can imagine.

"Well, since you accused me of being his bitch a few times…" Sarah said with a smirk and leaned forward. "We haven't slept with each other...yet. Thanks to you, snake eyes, Sammy was far too focused on finding you. Which just makes it all the more tempting… such determination."

On second thought, not just any kind of information. Like nothing of the sort, ever again. Although that explained why Sarah appeared to be more violent than I remembered, she was sexually frustrated and apparently it was my fault. Could someone please give me the emergency suicide shotgun please? Instead I groaned and shook my head in disgust, despite the very fact I had kind of slept with three different women at the same time not twenty four hours ago…..and let's just say the things we got up to, what I could remember of it, wouldn't have been out of place on a triple X movie. I didn't say I was completely free of embarrassment or shame regarding sexual matters, but I'm not nearly as prudish as I once was. "Great, well you have me now, what's stopping you from getting busy exactly?" I stupidly asked.

"You're not you." Samuel replied softly. "We have you back, yeah, but we don't have you as we remember you. You're….something else now, Alex. You're not who I remember, not at all."

"People change." I told him with a shrug, not really seeing his point.

"True, but rarely do they change much in such a short amount of time. Not without something forcing them to, and usually you can still see more traces of who they used to be." Samuel replied and narrowed his eyes at me. "What did they do to you? I wonder. This change didn't happen on its own, it was forced."

"What do you want me to say, exactly?" I sighed, and rubbed a hand across my forehead. If I was still capable of getting headaches, I was pretty sure I'd have one at that point. I still felt pretty tense, but no actual pain, so to speak. It was the stress and tension of the moment that was getting to me though, and like Sarah, I was ready to explode on them both if they kept pushing.

"Right now? Nothing, I just want you to listen. But not to me." He said with a sad look in his eyes. "As much as I want to help you, I know that this is something I can't help you with. With vengeance yes, but Setites? I'm afraid that is something I don't know much of anything about, save for how to kill them."

"Sunlight does wonders in that area." Sarah quipped, even though I knew perfectly well it was a greater weakness for the Setites than it was for any other vampire clan. Forsaking the light took on a more literal meaning with them, because they couldn't so much as let a stray sunbeam touch them without bursting into a fireball. The rest of us aren't so prone to combustion, but we don't handle the sun well ourselves. "Fire too, but sorry, you meant that rhetorically." Sarah was quick to chime in with a shrug of her shoulders when Samuel glanced at her.

"I did, but thanks anyway Sarah." Samuel chuckled dryly in response before a heavy sigh escaped him before he turned to me once more. "I don't know what they did to you Alex, I just know it's not natural, how much you've changed in the time you've been gone. I don't know anyone that has gone through whatever you've been through, so I don't know how to fix it. But I'm not giving up on you, I can tell you that right now."

"I already feel better." I snarked back and rolled my eyes, wondering if he truly thought that I would simply buy into his, 'I am your friend' speech.

"You should." He told me without a smile, face dead serious. "A little piece of advice? In those moments when we think we don't need any help, those are the times we need it the most. I had someone looking out for me while I almost drowned in my inexorable desire for vengeance. To this day, I'm more grateful than I can express that I did." Jason the corrupt Setite future lawyer isn't the only one that can deliver an impassioned speech. Samuel at least was honest about his intentions from start to finish though.

And even though he didn't say it, there was also a warning in his speech. That vengeance could be just as dangerous to myself as it was to my enemies. Despite this, he never tried to push his views onto me, merely accepting them while trying to guide me in a way that made sure that I wouldn't lose myself. Of course, I didn't want to hear it. "Is there a point somewhere in there? Another story? Because you're boring me to tears with the motivational crap." Ugh….and it's times like this that I want to take myself during that moment and slap the shit out of me for saying something so callous to Samuel.

"Thank you for proving my point." Samuel replied, unusually cold although in hindsight I can't blame him for the budding disgust in his voice when he spoke anew. I had unknowingly stepped into Samuel's most vulnerable memories, and into a sanctum for someone he had cherished. As such, I had just transgressed into something that was very, very sensitive just as Eliza was to me. So what he said next doesn't surprise me now. "Maybe Sarah has a point, you're not you anymore, so why should I expect you to act the way I remember?"

At the time I was taken aback by the sudden hostility, and I could tell that Sarah was as well. Apparently he hadn't had the chance to tell her everything just yet. My Auspex warned me that if I were to push more, I would face retribution on a scale I would nowhere be prepared to handle. Perhaps it was that warning or the lingering affection I still held for him despite the lies that poisoned my mind, but I chose to back off. Instead I backed away from the glass and turned my back to them both. "Just….just leave me alone, I'm beyond your help." And in a way I wasn't wrong, but in this case, Samuel proved the more stubborn of the two of us.

My response had a ghost of a smile pulling at Samuel's face once more as he waved his finger in my general direction. "Now that, sounded like the person I remember. The sister I would gladly put my life on the line for. That's why I'm not giving up."

"You're not making any sense!" I told him, frustrated by his attitude. I spun around and threw my arms out to my sides before letting them flop.

Samuel pressed onward, the hostile note in his voice gone just as quickly as it had appeared. "Don't I? Or perhaps it's you who cannot see what's right in front of her? Think about what I've said, perhaps you'll rediscover something you've thought lost forever." It wouldn't be so easy as that, especially since murdering my own mother hadn't just ensured the Revelation of Wrath's success. In my mind, it made sure I couldn't go back even if I did turn on the Setites. I'd always see myself as a monster, and the guilt would do the rest. However, while on its own it wouldn't free me, the thoughts that his words caused would be the seeds for my old self to return, even though it meant that I'd have to face a lot of unpleasant thoughts and my own sins before it was over. But Samuel had an ace to play. Like the Setites, he understood the clans he had come into contact with over the course of his life. "Come on Sarah, let's give her time to think it over."

"What that's it?" She asked, looking between us as shock filled her red eyes at what looked like he was giving up. At least to her it did, but I understood what he was doing.

He only smiled and started for the door, before snapping his fingers before going to a fridge that was in the room. "Can't have you starving on us now can we?" Well, even though I didn't like or trust him at the moment, I still had to admit that he was a better host to his hostage than the Setites had been. He left a couple blood bags on a tray that was in the center of the glass barrier, allowing items to be passed through or, to allow a prisoner to be handcuffed and escorted out safely. "You just think about what I said, we'll be back tomorrow night." He said before he left me to stew in my own funk, just like the Setites had. Unlike them though, he had no intention to drive me to insanity in any sense of the word. He wanted Alexandria Watson back, the freshly turned Toreador that had become like a sister to him, not the religious nutjob I was at that moment, so full of hatred and spite that he didn't recognize me anymore. Hell, _I_ didn't recognize me anymore, but that's a whole other thing.

Sarah gave me one last look and leaned in, her eyes flashing with anger once Samuel had left. "You better hope that you return to normal soon, otherwise I will have no problem with bashing your skull in if you decide to be such an insensitive bitch again. Until then… well let's just say _if_ you manage to return to your slithering friends, you will find their ranks drastically depleted." For once, I kept my mouth shut despite the fact I had already mouthed off to Set, and unknowingly, the very first vampire in existence himself. For some reason, Sarah's threat held the most sway over both of them put together. Likely because I knew her, knew what she was capable of, and for the simple fact she and Samuel were friends.

And while I was a lot of things, I always cherished the few friends I had. Never had an easy time making them, so I valued them all the more once I found one. I _had_ had friends back in high school sure, but nothing I'd classify in nearly the same capacity as Samuel, or Sarah, eventually. That's likely the reason why none of them ever came after me when I went missing after Eliza had Embraced me, besides the distance between us. Real friends….real friends like Samuel, Sarah, they stick with you no matter what. Perhaps I didn't consider them friends at the time, but they nonetheless had treated me better than Taweret did in the beginning and they had given me something to think about.

Which left me with a puzzle that I couldn't help but ponder as I settled in for a long night. With all of her resources, why didn't Taweret help me if I was as important to her as she claimed? Why torture me at all if she were a friend and more as she'd claimed to have been to me? I rationalized it of course, saying that she had shown me the worst of the Camarilla, had exposed them for the monsters they were, and that Samuel had been seen talking to Charles just before I had called that night. But there was that little voice in the back of my head all the same that just wouldn't be silenced anymore, no matter what I tried. Her arguments, her control over me seemed to lose power the more I thought about it.

Who was I to judge Sarah for drinking that one guy dry, especially since she'd been hurt? I had burned roughly a dozen people to a crisp, and I hadn't had the same excuse as she had. Sure I felt bad about it, but so did Sarah, even if she hadn't come right out and said it. So weren't we the same at the end of the day? Samuel had always told me that he was working for the Camarilla, or at least he did at the moment, even though he seemed to do his own thing most of the time. So there was hardly cause for alarm seeing him talk to Charles. It could be something more, true, but it could also be nothing, and the latter seemed more likely.

That's the problem with Toreador, we think too much when we can't entertain ourselves or keep ourselves occupied. That's why Taweret had been so successful against me, besides what she had done along the way I mean. She either kept me isolated, so I couldn't do anything _but_ think over the falsehoods she had filled my head with, or she kept me so busy that I couldn't process what I was going through in any way but the way she wanted. And here I was again, doing the exact same thing, except this time there was no ulterior motive, no hidden agenda of any kind. Not that I had much of a choice but to go along with it, but at least I was being fed this time.

As promised, Samuel returned. While it was petty, I had drank the blood bags, but then I had pushed the empty husks off the tray so they were on the floor outside my glass fish bowl. He merely raised a gray eyebrow at the gesture, but said nothing about it as he picked them up and threw them away in a nearby trashcan on his size of the glass. "Petty insults seem beneath you." He mused as he pulled a chair up to the glass and sat down.

"It was the best I could think of." I replied, glad that the cell had a bed, even if it was more of a prison cot than a bed, as I blew out a breath before turning my head to look at Samuel. "Not a lot of options for something a bit more substantial in this glass bowl you have me in."

"So you didn't think about what I said at all?" Samuel asked and leaned back in the simple chair he had pulled up. He sounded truly sad and disappointed by the very idea.

"Oh I thought about it." I grumbled before gracefully getting to my feet in one fluid motion. "I couldn't do anything _but_ think, Samuel, which was kinda the point wasn't it? I mean you said it yourself, you wanted me to do just that." I continued onward, all but growling at this point as I threw my hands into the air. I was currently locked into full on bitch mode, despite Sarah's warning to not do what I was about to do. "I can't stop not thinking about it. But you knew that would be what I'd be forced to do when you left last night." I was close to something, facing a horrible, uncompromising truth, but in typical stubborn fashion, I was trying to deny it with every unnecessary breath as I began to once again pace the length of my cell. "You say you're better than the Setites, than the Camarilla you serve, but here I am, locked in yet another cell. And to make it better, you've pretty much admitted to being a naturally gifted betrayer with how you infiltrated the Society of Leopold, twice! Oh I remember that conversation well, Samuel." With that, I flopped back onto the simple bed with a grunt.

"I would describe myself more as a naturally gifted infiltrator rather than a betrayer." He corrected with a small smile once more pulling at his handsome face despite the scathing blue eyed glare I was aiming his way. "Besides I already told you that I merely do what I think is best in any situation. Aside from that, you _did_ try to kill me, so view this as a grounding delivered by your big brother."

"I hate you." I hissed back and returned my gaze to the ceiling.

"You do, or at least you think you do." He partially agreed as he nodded once. "Thing is, if you truly hated me, this whole situation would be far less complicated."

"Yeah? What would you know about such things?" I shot back and once more turned to look at him. He was right, but that shouldn't be a surprise at this point.

"I know that no one can hate you more than someone who used to love you." He told me quietly and cocked his head. "And while you're angry, you lack the rage that comes with hatred of such magnitude."

"Got experience with that?" I snarked back, hoping to hurt him with my callous comments. At least at that time I did, nowadays I just want to weep at my ignorance and heartlessness.

"Yes, both as the betrayer and the betrayed." Despite my stupid, short sighted anger, I had to blink at the softness in Samuel's voice as he sighed about the same time memories of something far less pleasant started to flicker behind his gray eyes. I wasn't telepathically gifted with Auspex, but I still go the impression that whatever it was he was recalling, it wasn't pleasant, much like the loss of his parents hadn't been. "But I think I've shared enough about me." Samuel stated, and quickly changed the subject before a smile started to appear on his face. "You might be happy to know Sarah's gone back to Los Angeles. Before you get your hopes up though, she plans to come back, and with a friend if all goes according to plan." He was quick to say before his burgeoning smile faded just as quickly. "And I had time to learn about that Main Event you mentioned yesterday. Gotta say, I can understand why you hate the very idea of it. I also get why Taweret sent you to the gathering, and it wasn't just to further the Setites' end goal."

"Oh you're suddenly an expert are you?" I snapped as I got to my feet again before standing mere centimeters away from the glass.

"No, but I know how people like that think." Samuel replied softly once more. "The Society of Leopold try to indoctrinate their own followers in a similar fashion by making vampires and other supernatural creatures seem utterly devoid of anything worth saving, depending on what branch you happen to belong to." Samuel stated, explaining more about his former allies, which again proved he knew what he was talking about, albeit in his own way. "Some, as I think I've said before, have gone out of their way to hunt down only the truly evil among the supernatural to keep everyone else safe, Kindred and mortal alike, and they follow training regiments to cater to that same mindset. Unfortunately I got stuck with the more fanatical of the bunch, but since I had been raised by Kindred, I understood something few among my old comrades did, that they are just as spread out across the morality spectrum as humans are. I kept that to myself naturally since it wouldn't have been a popular opinion" He deadpanned and shrugged his shoulders once he had finished his latest bit of wisdom.

I remembered the conversation, but the added content about the people he'd been stuck with during his Leopold days told me more than he had actually said outright. It was clear, even during that time, that he had kept a lot of his trust and willingness to work with vampires, well, the ones that deserved it anyway, despite being trained by vampire hunters to take them down wherever they dwelled. It was no surprise then that he had found it so easy to betray his fanatical counterparts since he had understood that there was a lot of gray in the world, despite what his fellows had most likely believed to the contrary. There was a lot more to the story of course, which I'd find out involved that part of his memory that I had stomped all over just yesterday, but for the moment, it was all I could do not to roll my eyes.

"Gee, why am I not surprised." I asked him rhetorically and more than a little annoyed with his seemingly endless lectures.

"Because, despite your attitude, you aren't stupid. Rash? Yes. Clumsy? Sometimes. Hardheaded and sarcastic? You have no idea." He shot back without missing a beat. "Anyway, I brought you a little something."

"Well? What is it? Don't keep me in suspense or anything." I deadpanned and somehow managed to resist the urge to roll my eyes once again at him.

Not gracing my attitude with a response he merely pulled out a pen and a pad before he sent me a small smile. "You told me that you wanted to write a book. Remember? Perhaps you should start now?"

"Seriously?" I growled at him, hoping to wipe the smile of his face not that it worked. "You expect me to write a book while I am imprisoned?"

"You got something better to do?" He asked me and raised his eyebrows, as if to challenge me to deny his argument. "Besides, perhaps writing will help you with your communication. Some people rather use letters to talk about their feelings than actually talk about them."

"You think that just because I write down just how much I don't trust you, that it will help?" I asked him incredulously and shook my head at his thoughts. In hindsight he was onto something, but at the time I could only stare as if he had started speaking in tongues.

"Yeah, actually I do exactly that." He admitted easily and shrugged. "Besides, I'll later go to get you your laptop. You can hardly write a book with just a pen and a pad."

"How gracious of you." I snarked back and turned around as to avoid looking at him.

"Meh, I try not to brag." Was his smug answer not even a moment later. Even now I wonder how I didn't slap the shit out of him even after I returned to something resembling my old self, but it's that ever present, self assured, almost borderline arrogance I love about Samuel, even if it does drive me up a wall to this day. As it was, he simply laid the pen and paper on the tray in the glass barrier before sitting back down, casual as you please. I made no move to grab the items though, perfectly content to ignore him and the gift he had left between us.

But like I've said before, Toreador are not ones to sit around for long stretches of time if they have a choice in the matter. Samuel knew it, he counted on it, and eventually the temptation became too much for me to pass up as I finally jumped to my feet, snatched both the pen and the notebook off the tray with a muttered string of curses, and went back to my bed, as far from him and that smug smirk on his face as I could get. Bastard.

"Say, when you're writing stuff. Do you actually have a plan or do you go with the flow? Does it calm you? Never worked for me, always been too impatient for something like this." He told me absently and shrugged before focusing his gaze on me.

I couldn't believe this guy. Looking away from the notepad in my lap, I glared towards him, still sitting in his chair as if nothing was wrong with the world. "I didn't even start five minutes ago, and you're already questioning me?"

"Well the last time we talked about your writing we were walking into the Nosferatu den, and you didn't want to talk then either. So I figure, why not now?" He replied easily before he sent me a smile that was probably meant to calm me, but as you can expect, it didn't work out.

"Because you have locked me up! I don't trust you and you are annoying the hell out of me. Besides, even if I wanted to start writing a book right now, you would kill any inspiration I may find within myself. Scratch that, you probably murdered the village where my muses lived."

"I've killed a lot of things in my time, never a muse though." Samuel stated as a thoughtful gleam filled his gray eyes. "Or inspiration for that matter, so I'll just count that as a plus. Always looking for new things."

I wanted to burst into tears and slam my head against a hard surface repeatedly. What did I do to deserve this? Who knew that he could be so annoyingly chatty. I wished I could go back to solemn and silent Samuel. Well it was too late now, the beast had been unleashed, and I was at its mercy. Ugh! And you wonder why I feel tempted to slap the shit out of Samuel even now. He still gets incessantly chatty every now and again, especially when he knows that it'll annoy me. He truly acts like an older brother to me, an overprotective one at that. And I couldn't have asked for a better one.

Besides, Sarah can be far worse in a different manner. But we'll talk about that later. Like way later when I feel ready to face that particular problem. Especially the way she suggested to 'distract' Samuel from the need of vampire blood once he had drunk some of it. As for why he needed vampire blood again after years of having avoided it, that's….something else that'll be talked about in a later addition.

Suffice it to say, all but signing my soul away to Taweret wasn't the only mistake I made.

End Notes: _**Vergil1989**_ _: This one took a little longer than usual, but I think we did a pretty good job overall. We had some humor, some drama, some more revealed about Samuel's past, the whole nine yards. The cell oddly enough is a bit of a combination between what you see in Agents of SHIELD with the whole Inhuman proof metal box cells they use in the show, and your typical interrogation room set up. But that aside, the revelations shared between Samuel and Alex we had in the works for a long while, we just never got a chance to really share them. Thanks to Nomad though, and his idea of setting this up as we did in advance, we finally got to share some more on our favorite former hunter turned big brother. D_

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Like Vergil already said, this took a little longer than expected, but we hope you can forgive us the delays and enjoy the chapter regardless. A lot of Samuel's back story was actually more or less improvised, we knew some things, but not yet how to get there. So we improvised and hope you find his background, what we've shared so far, to be realistic, given the circumstances. But don't worry, there are still some secrets floating around on all sides of this story. Hope you enjoy. Until next time. See you._

 _ **Vergil1989**_ _: Indeed. Take care folks, and hope you all have a good one. Adios for now!_


	15. Shattered Minds

**Chapter 15: Shattered Minds**

As you should be expecting by now, nothing ever goes according to plan in this world of ours where the monsters are more than some sick mind's creation….the Tzimisces' twisted abominations notwithstanding. The fly in the ointment in this case, came in the form of a call from Sarah once she had gotten into contact with her old friends in Los Angeles. She got there just fine and met with her mysterious friend, problem was, they had trouble leaving the city once all the arrangements had been made for their departure You would too though if a fanatical cult was trying to kill or maim you in an effort to prevent you from leaving, or at the very least slow you down, which they did, just without the maiming or killing. There are other ways to accomplish the same thing, and Setites have a really long reach, as I think I've mentioned before. Samuel once joked not as far as his sniper rifle, but that's just his morbid humor talking, which I actually love, sometimes.

In any event, I could overhear most of what he and Sarah talked about over his cellphone. Not that he made an effort to keep me in the dark. " _I'm starting to appreciate the fact these snakeheads are pretty resourceful, but it just makes my urge to wipe them out that much stronger._ " Sarah snapped, half the world away, yet I could still imagine the furious gleam in her red eyes just fine.

"Easy girl, you wouldn't want to start without me." Samuel said with a small smirk even though it looked like he was trying to suppress a frown at the same time. "Try to avoid them for now, when you get back here I promise you we can kill as many of them as you like."

" _You just know what I want to hear Sammy. Oh If only we were together right now…"_ To this day I am still not certain what to think of Sarah in some regards. On the one hand, she's a good friend, always willing to help you, and she's great company as well. On the other hand, she is probably a sex addicted nymphomaniac, like seriously, if she told me that she ate aphrodisiacs everyday I would believe her without batting an eye. Despite my disbelief regarding her more….sexual appetites, I will admit that she likely just lives life as if she isn't going to be around tomorrow. While not a bad thing, she still tends to make me wonder about her sanity.

And as if to prove my thoughts, I heard another female voice in the background, this one distinctively more….soft and pleasing to the ear than rough in its tenor and tone as Sarah's was. It was hard not to hear the silk in her voice, as if her every word was drenched in soft kisses and feather light touches. " _I can imagine it already."_ She purred, to which Sarah chuckled and I could imagine the Brujah only shrugged in response. " _If I wasn't so open minded, I'd almost certainly be jealous."_

" _You wanna join in?"_ Sarah offered, her voice sounding mischievous. " _I seriously doubt Sammy would mind."_

"No I most certainly would not." Samuel replied, a cheerful, anticipatory tone all too easy to hear in his voice as his gray eyebrows shot to his hairline. "I'm a guy though, that shouldn't surprise you."

" _He's honest. You didn't mention that."_ The second woman said, curiosity all but evident in her soft, pleasing tone of voice. Needless to say, I was curious as to who this woman was that had apparently known Sarah if I were to make an educated guess. The easy way they talked about Samuel said that much all on its own.

" _Yeah, but he is also kind of mysterious. Got this whole knight with a dark past going for him. Just makes me want to rip his clothes off."_ Sarah replied to her mysterious friend with a longing, or needy, sigh. In response, Samuel merely smirked smugly and leaned back, apparently content with her description of himself. I think that was the moment where I started to pray that the call would end soon and he didn't start talking to me about it. He was annoying enough as it was without having his ego stroked.

" _Mmm mmmm. I can see why you like him on that merit alone. Now I'm even more curious, despite the reason why you called upon me in the first place."_ The mysterious woman replied, before a heavy sigh escaped her that for some odd reason, made me almost wince in sympathy for whatever old worries she was trying not to think about. Whatever the reason why I felt even that much for Sarah's friend, she chose that moment to address Samuel dirrectly. " _And what about you? Will you be able to work with someone from Sarah's past that might have….had something before she was forced to leave Santa Monica?_ "

Most men would have been irrationally jealous over the very idea, but Samuel was not most men. He only shrugged and answered the potentially dangerous question with an ease that belied his maturity and the hard road he had taken to get to where he was now. "I don't have any problem with that. I had my own relationships in the past after all, why should I begrudge Sarah hers? My only concern is that you and Sarah get here safely. Anything else is secondary."

" _Your concern is appreciated, but I fear there is little you can do to make our journey safer."_ The woman responded solemnly, but she also seemed grateful for his declaration that things wouldn't get weird between them once she and Sarah got back. Oddly enough I shared his opinion despite the fact I still very much wanted to tear his heart out of his chest.

"Well, I guess if I cause enough damage they might decide that I'm more annoying." He replied easily and furrowed his brows in thought. "Perhaps I should just blow some of their buildings up, that ought to get their attention."

" _Hey, no explosions without me!_ " Sarah was quick to point out before she sombered. " _Besides, you would have to cause way more damage than you can in New York alone to deter the ones in LA."_

"True, but it would make me feel better." Samuel told her with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. "A pity that they aren't as stupid as the shovelheads, good times, good times."

" _Gotta agree with ya there."_ Sarah chimed in before a weary sigh escaped her this time. " _Watch your back Sammy, especially around snake eyes in the cell. I know she's your friend and all, but she's not herself anymore. Don't let her fool you."_

"I _can_ hear you!" I butted in, more than a little annoyed by her description of me.

"I know what you're saying, but I refuse to accept that there's no chance to get her back." Samuel told her while he ignored my outburst completely. "What can be done can be undone in most cases."

" _In most cases."_ Sarah agreed softly. " _And I'm bringing one such case back with me, even if it takes us a couple weeks longer than planned."_

"Alright, in the mean time, I'll try to find as much information as I can. Both about the Setites and about the Main Event. Although I fear if we wish to do something about the latter… a thought for another time. We have enough to worry about as it is."

" _Agreed. Anyway Sammy, gotta go, Nines is getting the band back together and we plan to raise some holy Hell on this end. I hear even Beckett's gonna get involved, wonders never cease I swear."_

"Have fun you two." Despite the worry I could hear and see on his face, Samuel still had a small, easy smile on his face.

" _Oh we will."_ Sarah replied while her friend merely giggled alluringly, if innocently before the Brujah hung up.

I of course used the time I had to latch onto something he said, in an attempt to prove how evil he was. "What do you mean you got enough to worry about? So you're not gonna help those ghouls at the Main Event? Just because you have other things on your mind?" I know, not the best arguments but, I was pretty desperate at this point.

"Alex, remember what I told you about you being rash? That just proves it." Samuel told me with a shake of his head. "Tell me, what would you do to stop this?"

"I would shut the whole place down. With violence if they resist." I hissed out, the horrors I had seen there were enough to ensure that I wasn't in a forgiving mood towards those that watched those sick games.

"I figured you'd say something like that, but what about the ghouls there?" Samuel asked without missing a beat, having returned to a more lecturing, patient tone and demeanor. "They're fiercely loyal to their masters because they have no other choice. Or perhaps those that have to work there under the threat of death, how can you be sure that you only punish the ones responsible? That's what I was going to say, if we shut this down… then there will be casualties, and not solely the ones who deserve it." Even now, I don't have an answer for his arguments, well constructed and thought out as they were. So it's safe to assume that I didn't have one then as I started to open my mouth only to clamp my lips shut again when I couldn't come up with something to counter him. Taking my silence once more for what we both knew what it was, Samuel's smile widened a little bit. "Glad to know you're still in there somewhere Alex. Whatever Taweret did, it wasn't enough to completely twist and corrupt you until there's nothing left but whatever she wanted to leave in its place."

"Corrupt? How do you know that she hasn't made me better?" I asked, having since sat up on the side of the bed.

"Because I knew you before she got her hands on you." He replied simply and shrugged. "And I know which version is the better person. The question is, do you? Think about everything you've done for and at the Setties' whim, and then about what you did before. What would you say is better?"

Well damn, checkmate. I mean before I joined them, I hadn't murdered my mother or joined some girls I didn't even know for some kind of drugged up sex orgy. Not only that, but while I had had no love for the Camarilla before, something that hasn't changed, I hadn't been ready to utterly blow up every establishment and building they had to their name because as Samuel had already pointed out without saying so directly, not everything was so black and white.

"Anyway, how's the book?" He suddenly asked, and pretty much threw my thoughts into disarray. "Need any ideas about a male main character the ladies just can't resist?" And it was in that moment that I knew that my prayers went unanswered.

And so it went for about two weeks. We'd talk, he'd leave me alone for part of the night to think things over, and then leave once the sun had started to come up with a couple blood bags on the tray for me to drink down only to repeat the process all over again once the sun had gone down again. It wasn't until Sarah and her mysterious friend were due back later on at the end of the two weeks that things went….south, way south.

That night started out well enough, if by well enough Samuel's continuous banter and questioning had since grown beyond the point of annoying and had gotten downright insanity inducing in my opinion. That's not to say the conversations we had hadn't been without positive results, but more times than not I tried to misdirect him or outright ignore him, in a futile attempt to buy myself time in the hopes Taweret was looking for me or something I think. During that time I noticed something however, despite the way he acted, Samuel was actually pretty damn clever. His arguments shattered mine with ease, and he came up with them in mere moments.

If only he would act like that more often. I get the whole 'make the enemy underestimate you' gig he does, but sometimes I could do without the endless banter. He still drives me up the wall sometimes, and he knows it. Bastard. On the other hand, I wouldn't have him change for the world, so meh, you take the wins where you can get them I suppose.

As had become routine, he was sitting in his chair, I was on the simple bed, but I had stopped giving him the stink eye every time he opened his mouth. Try as I might, I couldn't argue against him anymore. To be fair, he didn't try to force his opinion on me, he calmly argued back whenever I tried to force him to see why I was right. The sad thing was that even without him trying, I could see more and more holes in the story Taweret had given me. More likely she had shoved down my throat, but the end result is the same.

Surprisingly, he seemed sad as he watched me slowly lose faith in what I believed in. This was what he wanted, and yet he took no pleasure from it as I slowly fell apart for an entirely different reason than what Taweret had orchestrated, which had resulted in my initial personality shift in the first place. No….Samuel didn't enjoy what he did, not in the slightest, but he knew it needed to be done if there was any hope of getting me back in any sense of the word. So all that defiance and anger and rage I had been harboring? That had been replaced by me slowly withdrawing, literally and otherwise as I sat on the edge of my bed with my knees drawn up to my chin, my arms wrapped around them. "I hate seeing you like this Alex." He said softly, all trace of his earlier humorous demeanor gone. "I almost preferred it when you were snarling and waving your hands around to where you are now. At least then you were still full of life and vigor, even if it was…. _well_ , misplaced."

"I'd thought you'd be happy. After all, you've broken me. Isn't that what you wanted?" I asked morosely, unable to look him in the eye.

Samuel only shook his head sadly in response before he spoke anew. Even with my gaze averted, I could see the movement out of the corner of my eye. "No, contrary to what you may believe, I never wanted any of this for you. Were it up to me, I would gladly undo what has been done to you if I could. But I can't turn back time, no matter how much I wish I could." A wish we both have Samuel, but at the time I only pulled my knees closer to my chin. It wasn't until the glass started to rise into the ceiling that I looked up, but by that point, Samuel had sat down next to me. I was too startled to move as he got comfortable next to me, but made no further move just yet. "But I am here for you now."

"Aren't you afraid that I'll kill you?" I asked him without any heat in my voice, I doubted that I could even if I tried, and at that point I was simply too depressed to try in the first place anyway.

"Not really. If you wanted to, you would have already tried." He replied with a small shrug and sighed. "Besides, do you really think that death is the worst thing that could happen to someone?"

I blinked at that, surprised. That sounded unusually depressing for Samuel. Normally he was far more optimistic than that. It also got me thinking, I never had truly thought too much about it. A common weakness in Kindred and mortals alike, neither of the two enjoy being reminded of their mortality. At that time I was naive enough to fear death above all else, not anymore. I stole a glance at Samuel and saw that he looked just as solemn as he sounded.

"You may have trouble believing it, but I know what it's like to have your reason for existing disappear, or at least what you think your purpose is." He told me and lowered his eyes. "It hurts more than you would think, doesn't it?"

I merely nodded once in reply and returned to my brooding. My thoughts were circling around all those things I've heard, both from Samuel and from Taweret. I didn't know who to believe anymore, what to do anymore, who to trust anymore. I didn't even know who _I_ was anymore at that point.

"I-" Samuel began to say before he was interrupted by a blaring noise that rang three times in short succession. The human man slowly closed his eyes and exhaled slowly before opening them again. "Sorry, but we'll have to continue this some other time." With that he stood up, walked towards a cupboard at the opposing wall and opened it. Inside were a multitude of weapons, ranging from a small collection of throwing knives to an assortment of guns. He picked what looked like a shotgun of some kind as well as a submachine gun from the cupboard. "I'll leave the cage open, if they get through me… I want you to run. Otherwise stay inside, you'll be safe."

Without waiting for an answer, he walked through the door into the next room and closed it behind him. I could do little more than stare at the closed door in stunned disbelief. He simply left the door open? Why would he do such a thing? And who would attack aside from Setites, but Setites wouldn't want to kill me, would they? At this point I wasn't so sure anymore.

I waited for what felt like hours but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes, and the only thing I could hear was utter silence from outside. Just as I started to relax, believing it to be nothing more than a false alarm, the silence was torn asunder by the sound of a door getting kicked off its hinges, followed by a loud bang and heavy footstep storming into a room.

For a moment there was no response, then the shooting started. The loud shots of a shotgun echoed through the building repeatedly, followed by screams of dying men. Then the attackers returned fire with their own weapons, who possessed a far more rapid rate of fire than the shotgun Samuel had taken with him. This time though there were no screams, telling me that Samuel had successfully avoided his opponents' shots. Or that he had gotten killed and didn't have time to scream. My second theory was disproven when once again shots rang out though this time they seemed to have a better time at avoiding them. Although I still could hear panicked shouts, before once again they returned fire.

This process was repeated a few times, and each time it did the sounds of combat were closer to my location. Although I have to admit that they also grew quieter as Samuel managed to eliminate more and more of his opposition. That still didn't answer what the hell was going on of course. The moment I thought that, the door crashed down as Samuel was thrown into it from the other side. To his credit he managed to roll to his feet and into a combat ready stance with fluid grace, but he didn't emerge unscathed from the fight. Blood was running down the right side of his face. And I could make out what looked like a slash wound _and_ a bullet wound on his left side, which made me wonder just how the hell he was still fighting. That was until I remembered his comment how he didn't feel much at all on his left side anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if he took the hits there on purpose to keep fighting.

Still he appeared weaponless as he rolled to the side and dodged a hail of bullets from the hall, but as he did so, he drew a small combat knife from a hidden sheath at his back. Wounded as he was, he was still dangerous and his opponents were eager to finish him with a killing blow, too eagerly I might add.

The first one to rush through the door paid the price for underestimating the human in front of me. He hadn't taken his second step into the room before Samuel had rammed the knife into his throat, and threw him to the ground. In the same motion he took the man's rifle, aimed it down the hall and fired his own salvo at whoever was still alive. A pain filled cry told me that he hit, if not killed, at least one of them.

He hadn't had any time to celebrate though as he was once again forced to dodge out of the way of a new storm of bullets, which was shortly followed by two vampires, both carrying what appeared to be katanas. But by the time they entered the room, Samuel had already stood, knife at the ready, although it looked like a bad idea in regards to a last stand in comparison to his opponents' long and deadly blades. In Samuel's hands though, a knife is as deadly as any sword, trust me, I've seen what he can do with a simple knife.

Without another moment of hesitation, both vampires attacked him at once. And Samuel did his best not to get hit, somehow managing to let the blows slide off his shorter blade without taking the brunt of the attack or outright dodging them with what appeared to be inhuman elegance. Vampire hunters as I think you've figured out by now, are their own kind of supernatural being, so his inhuman agility and fighting prowess shouldn't come as a surprise.

One of them however managed to surprise him by flipping his sword, so that he held it in a reverse grip, stepping forward and hitting him in the chest with its pommel. The hit was strong enough that the already wounded Samuel was forced to bend forward and cough up blood. The vampire saw his chance and raised his blade. Yet he wouldn't emerge victorious in this fight. Samuel allowed himself to fall to his knees and in the same motion stabbed his knife into the foot of the vampire who had hit him.

Said vampire inevitably bent forward in pain and Samuel stood up, slitting his throat in the same motion. As the vampire dissolved into an ash cloud, Samuel deftly caught the katana's handle before it could hit the ground, and went as far as to swing it in an intricate flourish, making it abundantly clear that he possessed some skill with the weapon.

His remaining opponent regarded him cautiously, and I could understand why. This human had just bested his partner in close quarters, while being wounded, I would be cautious as well. However, at that moment I did nothing but stare at both of them. I hadn't recognized anyone of the three attackers, not that I knew a lot of Setites, but they also lacked Setite markings, and they most certainly didn't act like your average shovelheads. Granted, elder 'shovelheads', or those Sabbat that had lived for some time and gotten past their 'chest beating' stage are quite capable in a fight, but even then I've noticed they don't tend to have the best equipment or training for that matter. The guys Samuel had dropped were trained and heavily armed to boot. And if I wasn't mistaken, looked a lot like Ventrue.

The standoff lasted only for a moment before Samuel was attacked once more, and once again the human had to prove why he was a feared vampire hunter as he weaved around the attacks while trying to land his own blows. They seemed to be in a deadlock, but I could see that the wounds were beginning to take their toll on Samuel, his breath erratic, face sweaty and pale.

He of course knew as well, and being the man he was he decided that there was no other way than to ensure victory at any cost. He began to attack his last remaining assailant, made obvious that no one else came in to help the vampire, with increasing ferocity. Still, his opponent managed to evade or deflect his attacks, surprisingly with his bare arm in one case when Samuel found an opening, only for his blade to bounce off of the limb as if he'd hit a metal wall. Ventrue Fortitude is notorious for making an already strong, stuck up prick of a Ventrue all but indestructible for short bursts of time. As such, the Ventrue in question was able to take advantage of the unexpected block by retaliating, hard.

The vampire managed to stab Samuel through the stomach with enough force that the blade exited his other side. Samuel violently coughed and spat out blood, this time far more than before. But just as the vampire was grinning victoriously the human took his own sword and shoved it through his chest, right into his heart. The vampire dissolved into ash with a mixture of surprised disbelief on his face.

A moment later Samuel fell on his knees, violently coughing up blood, hand pressed against the wound in his stomach, not that it did much to deter the blood flow. Completely ignoring me, he slowly crawled across the ground, and pulled himself up on the empty chair before slowly sitting down in it. Katana still sticking out of him, he of course knew that he would bleed out all the quicker should he pull it out. Not that that would save him if he didn't get help soon. "Didnt-" He coughed again, his teeth stained red with lifeblood. "Expect that." His breathing was laboured, uneven and he looked about ready to pass out any moment. I had no doubt that nothing but his indomitable will was keeping him conscious.

Uncertain as to what to do, I started to move, although I had no idea what I was doing. I only knew one thing, I wanted to get out of there, away from this cell and away from all that death that seemed to haunt me wherever I went. I passed the frame of my cell, causing Samuel to twitch weakly, not that he was in any condition to do anything, let alone stop me.

"Please…" He whispered weakly and lifted the hand he had pressed against his wound. It was shaking with exertion, his eyes full of sadness and pain. I didn't answer him, I just made my way to the door. In my peripheral vision I could see his hand falling down, and his head lowered as well as he lost consciousness at last. Which was probably a mercy at this point, the pain he had to be in undoubtedly trumped anything I had ever experienced.

I silently walked through what appeared to be an abandoned school building or something similar. While I walked towards the doors, I could see the fresh corpses of those that had attacked us or rather him. Judging from the way they were scattered and the bullet holes that were strewn about, I was certain that he had given them quite a chase, and that there were more corpses waiting to be discovered. Even in my dazed state I was shocked by the number of ash piles I discovered. Even though he had been surprised more or less, and hadn't been nearly as prepared as he could have been, he killed at least half a dozen vampires, not counting the ones whose demise I witnessed in person. And I wasn't about to even try to count the ghouls and humans he killed in there.

Still, I continue onward, knowing only one thing. It was safe to go outside, otherwise there wouldn't have been any vampires amongst the attackers. While that thought was comforting, it left me open to further questions, and they wouldn't be as easily answered. I stepped out into the cool night's air, behind me the shattered doors and the entrance hall slick with blood. I took a shuddering breath and for the first time this evening asked myself what I wanted to do now.

The first thought was actually not as surprising as I would have thought. _Return to Taweret._ My mind suggested, and at first I thought it wouldn't be that bad of an idea and I was already looking for a way to figure out my exact location. But then I was reminded of all the doubts I had lived through these past two weeks. How Taweret's arguments seemed less and less true the more I thought about them.

In the end I decided to just walk, I didn't care where, just away from here. I think that was me trying to run away from my problems, as if such a thing were actually possible. It isn't, just in case you think it is. Sooner or later they'll return, or they'll hunt you down and throttle you until you face them head on. Either way, I was too numb, too dead inside to really think of anything except trying to put as much distance between myself and the abandoned school as possible.

To this day it is one of my greatest regrets to have simply left Samuel there in such a state, and I am pretty sure the shame will stay with me until the day I die. Or rather when I get dead, as is most likely the case. The amount of people who want you dead just seems to grow when you don't die of old age, the problem is, most of your enemies don't have that problem either. And those that do sometimes find a way around it or turn it into a family feud that can last for an eternity on its own. Some people can really hold a grudge, not me of course. Never me, although there was this bitch a few years ago…. Anyway, we'll talk about that later, perhaps.

As it stood at that moment, I just...wandered, with no clear destination in mind, no idea what I wanted to do when I got there. I was lost, rudderless, the whole nine yards. On the one hand, I had Taweret's lies still filling my head, and while they had lost their strength, they were still present. On the other, I had Samuel, and everything he had told me, had tried to get me to see. I just didn't know anything anymore. All the answers I thought I had were but smoke in the wind, and I had just walked out on the last person that had my best interests at heart when he needed help the most.

If only Taweret hadn't poisoned my mind, then I would be right next to him and bawling my eyes out in worry, while hysterically trying to call anyone for help. But I wasn't that lucky. And Samuel has often told me that there was no use contemplating things that could have been, not that he didn't do the same from time to time. It's just human nature, and while I'm no longer human exactly, I'm still attached to what makes me human more so than even most Toreadors. But that was neither here nor there as I just walked down the sidewalk, uncomprehending of the world around me at large. I passed graffiti marked buildings, old, rundown brownstones, and even a cemetery before I came upon a bar off in the distance. While I couldn't drink like I used to, that didn't stop me from going inside. I could easily find myself someone who was already three sheets to the wind if I wanted to get a second hand buzz, so to speak, but even that didn't appeal to me as I pushed open the door and found myself in a corner booth.

Even as the music and conversation droned on around me, I remained deaf and numb to the world. My mind was more of a prison to me then than the cell had been. No matter what I thought about, my thoughts would return to the dilemma of what to do now, and there was no escape for I did not know what to do. And so I was running in circles. I was pulled out of my thoughts though when someone sat down across from me. Just as I was about to tell them to piss off, I stopped when I saw who it was that had put herself in the seat across from me.

"Little lost bird." Juliet said softly in greeting, her brown eyes unusually steady as she looked at me in sympathy. "Saw this, a possibility, and one I both hoped and dreaded in equal breath. I am glad you've made it this far. It means there might still be hope." My throat suddenly seemed dried up, as if I was dehydrated, I couldn't speak even if I wanted to. In front of me sat someone who had raised Samuel after the death of his parents, and I had abandoned him. My imagination already conjured up all those horrible things she could and probably would do to me once she found out what I did.

Juliet suddenly frowned at me and her gaze seemed to focus even more. "Sammy, what happened to Sammy?" Oh shit, I was so screwed. Any second now she would tear me limb from limb, I just knew it. Just when I started to consider making a break for it, Juliet's handbag started to buzz before she pulled out a cellphone. "Red eyes." She said in way of greeting while putting a hand over mine and none too subtly squeezing my wrist. I got the hint and made no more move to try and run away from her.

" _How do you-nevermind. It's Sarah. Samuel's been hurt and Alex is missing._ " Sarah stated quickly.

"Sammy… hurt?" Juliet asked slowly, as if she could hardly believe it. After seeing how well he handled himself, I honestly couldn't blame her, but in Juliet's case it went well beyond that. She had acted as a surrogate mother figure for him after all. Malkavians might be crazy but they aren't so removed from reality….most of them aren't anyway, that they can't function in society. In Juliet's case, having Samuel in her life had probably given her a lot of stability, especially once a genuine bond of love born from a maternal sense had formed between them. "Will, will the pretty little boy live? Is he burned? Does he glow?" In her worry for Samuel her madness seemed to become more pronounced, so she was probably remembering the time she had seen him as a little boy. Right after he… lost his parents. And even if I wanted to, I could no longer deny the truth of that story, my Auspex had already told me that, but now Juliet had confirmed it.

" _He'll live, but it was pretty close Juliet. I….I had to give him my blood._ " She admitted, her tone making it clear she felt ashamed to have done so to Samuel, since it meant he'd be addicted to Kindred blood again, but it had been in order to save his life. " _I didn't know what else to do. He had a fucking sword sticking out of his guts._ "

Juliet though relaxed visibly and made a soothing noise directed at Sarah before she spoke further. "You did the right thing. One ghoul does not equal another, especially when it comes to Samuel. The bond, even if at full strength, will not last, but the side effects will. Hunters can't be blood bound for long, not like normal humans." There was a sigh of relief from Sarah, despite the fact Samuel would still have to contend with the withdrawal side of being given Kindred blood. Hell, I was relieved too, despite my earlier fugue state. Juliet let the words sink in for the both of us before she continued. "Once he recovers, he'll need time to let it leave his system. It will not be pretty, but he'll thank us once the worst has passed. Heather was not your fault, Sarah."

I don't know what surprised me more, the fact Juliet had just used Sarah's real name for the first time I could remember, or the mention of someone by the name of Heather that had Sarah sucking in a sharp breath. But Juliet continued to talk as if she didn't notice. "Not to worry. Perhaps Sammy will want to become a ghoul to stick around longer… even though the infinite calls to him."

" _Y-yeah… I. We'll see. First we have to make sure he gets better."_ Sarah stuttered out in a very uncharacteristic way for her. Whoever this Heather was, she certainly had an impact on the Brujah. Her behavior at the rave the night I disappeared was starting to make more sense, especially if something bad had happened to this Heather. I wasn't able to dwell on it for long though when Sarah took a steadying breath and she let out a heavy, frustrated sigh. " _Do you have any idea who did this?"_

"I do. Charles and his mirror." Juliet replied immediately before she let my hand go, secure in the knowledge I wasn't going anywhere. She was right, but how she knew that I wasn't about to question. "They sent fools after someone with far bigger teeth than they. You've no doubt seen the aftermath."

" _By that you mean the piles of ash and the blood all over the walls? Yeah, kinda hard to miss._ " Sarah shot back, sounding more like herself than she had just a few moments ago.

"He always hated to surrender to anything or anyone." Juliet said softly as she remembered a younger Samuel. "Stubborn born, stubborn bred. It was inevitable. Now the king and his men are running out of pawns. It won't be long before they take more direct action."

" _Well, I say fuck them all because they fucked with the wrong Brujah._ " Sarah growled ferociously before she forced herself to calm down somewhat. " _Juliet, if you see Alex, be careful. Bitch is crazier than me right now, and I wouldn't be surprised if she had a hand in what happened here. If you find her, do yourself a favor and put her down, or I will._ "

To my surprise, Juliet gave me a quick look before speaking to Sarah once more. What she said had me at a complete loss since I was certain she had every intention of throwing me under the Brujah. She would have had plenty of reason to, given the circumstances. "The pretty bird had nothing to do with Sammy. She is a prisoner in her own mind, broken, empty." Juliet told the Brujah and cocked her head to the side. "Sammy was hurt by those lesser men that now lay dead."

" _Perhaps, but she sure as hell didn't help him either."_ Sarah argued back hotly, and even went as far as to growl in anger. " _She must have seen what happened to him. Kill her if you find her."_

"Be mindful young one. I know how to deal with her." Juliet said with an unexpected sharpness in her voice. "Do not think to order me like I was beneath you red eyes." Let this be a reminder, don't fuck with a Primogen, or a Methuselah for that matter, but the latter you're likely not to see wandering around like Juliet and the others around her 'age group'. Methuselahs are the older vampires, right below the elders, if I recall correctly, but they tend to keep to the shadows more than most.

" _I- I am sorry. It's just… Samuel."_ Sarah replied, clearly startled by the heated reply and at a loss on what to say as not to offend the Primogen any further. Even Sarah apparently knew better than to push her luck against the Malkavian Primogen, who knew?

"Get better, Sammy will. I'm certain of it." Juliet assured her more calmly than before. "Remember red eyes. Life is the currency of the world, be mindful how you spend it. Alex is no threat, to you or Samuel or anyone else. She is simply lost, that's all."

" _Alright….just….stay safe Juliet._ " Sarah said at last as her voice started to break, but she reigned in her raging emotions before they crippled her ability to speak entirely. " _I'll try not to kill her if I see her, promise. In the meantime, I'll keep you updated on Samuel's condition. It might not be a bad idea to send some of your people though, on the off chance Charles the Cunt decides to take another shot at us._ "

"I'll do that momentarily. You stay safe as well red eyes." Juliet said softly and nodded emphatically. "Don't worry, I don't hold Sammy's condition against you. He is your friend, he knew the Camarilla would hunt him when discovered." While she said it to Sarah, I got the impression that Juliet had made it a point I heard it as well, at least looking back I believe that was the intent anyway.

That certainly caught my attention. Samuel was hunted by the Camarilla? Apparently a lot things had changed since I disappeared, and I went ahead and accused him of working for Charles. I absently wondered why he hadn't told me before I realized that he knew that I wouldn't have believe him. No wonder Sarah had been so frustrated and temperamental around me. She'd known and hadn't said anything, most likely because Samuel had asked her not to. Whatever the case, the lingering fog around me disappeared just as Juliet hung up and moved to my side of the booth seat before crimson tears started to roll down my face again. I hadn't actually accepted anything, come to a realization, or anything like that, I was just reacting to what was happening around me.

"Calm yourself pretty bird. You attract attention." She told me quietly, reminding me that crying bloody tears wasn't exactly normal for humans. "Now. Tell. Me. Everything." While to the casual observer it might have looked like Juliet was simply offering a shoulder to a distraught friend, I knew better because she had a tight, vice like grip around my waist. I wasn't going anywhere even if I had the strength and determination to try and escape.

I didn't need to ask to know that she meant about what happened to Samuel, and I was in no position to deny her. She probably could have driven me mad and then scraped what she needed from the ruins of my mind if she wanted to. So I told her, and I left nothing out, not even my own fractured thoughts processes during that time.

When I was finished Juliet stared at me silently, her eyes once again eerily focused. She didn't even breathe, not that she needed to, but most vampires still did out of habit. Another silent moment passed before her eyes began to glint and shine with barely restrained madness and anger. "The prince has much to answer for." She hissed out, her nails digging into my my waist as she slowly clenched her fist. "This city will be safe for Sammy or _burn_." I didn't ask why she had such a pyromaniac streak to her, and honestly, I still don't want to know, but I can tell you this much, I didn't doubt that Juliet would have done just that and more if she deemed it necessary in her effort to keep Samuel safe from the likes of Charles and whoever his 'mirror' was. So when she looked down at me, I did my best to hold as still as possible because I really didn't want to find out what it'd be like to become a drooling vegetable. I needn't have worried though as Juliet relaxed her grip on my waist, albeit only a little. "You and Sammy and Sarah….you are all worth burning the city down if it comes to that. But you have lingered here long enough."

I wanted to ask her what she meant by that but she merely stood up and pulled me up with her, before she dragged me out of the bar by my hand. The mere thought of resisting her was laughable, there was no chance that I could even if I were at my best. When we reached the streets, she dragged me beneath a light post and looked me in the eye. "Next sunset, you ring at my home. I'll let you in. We will make you better again. And you will _not_ resist." I could only nod since what did you say to a Malkavian madwoman when she spoke with such clarity and force? Answer, you didn't say a damn word and just went along with their demands. As if to prove my thoughts, she suddenly looked up at the lamp post, and began to wail softly. "The radiant maiden sees, she suffers, just like Juliet does. But he will get better, he must. The infinite has yet to wait."

I had no idea what any of that meant, at the time anyway, so I did the best thing I could given the circumstances. I rolled with it, without question. Once I had only nodded, Juliet's wailing stopped and she perked up just as quickly. "Good little lost bird. Go home, get some rest. You will need it. I have to see my Sammy before the sun comes again. And remember, you _will_ be at my house, or Juliet will be _very_ cross." Once I nodded one last time, Juliet nodded and walked away to a nearby car. Before I could begin to question the wisdom of the Malkavian being behind the wheel, I was only slightly reassured when I saw she had a personal driver.

Still, she might be of questionable sanity, but one thing was for certain, if Sarah knew better than to cross her, then I should work even harder not to piss her off. I liked my braincells not to be liquified, burned up, or otherwise melted down into gray goop that used to be functional gray matter. And with a Malkavian, while they might not be able to physically affect someone's brain, their opponents' minds are another matter entirely. In their case, madness is indeed very contagious, when they want it to be. Hell, if she wanted to, she could make me think that I was the pretty bird she viewed me as, and I would likely end up sitting on a branch and chirp and all of that. Not a pretty picture.

So despite my numb, deadened state, I wasn't quite so far gone that I was in a hurry to test the bounds of Juliet's patience. That and I was dead tired, despite the fact I hadn't really done a whole lot that night. In hindsight I have to say that it made sense though, I wasn't tired in body but in spirit. As if that wasn't bad enough, while I haven't talked about it much, Toreadors are known for their extreme highs and lows in the emotional spectrum, and I was bottoming out, hard. By the time I reached my old haven, my crappy apartment, I had only just gotten the door shut behind me before I slid down the frame and remained on the floor in the fetal position. Despite the fact I was exposed, even though the curtains were drawn, I just didn't care anymore. The sun could have been streaming through the windows and I wouldn't have moved a muscle to save myself if I had been awake enough to register the danger in the first place.

Not that I was aware of the passage of time at the moment, my mind had shut down except for the parts that attempted to drown me in sorrow and misery. Or that's what it felt like. Those who are not Toreador cannot hope to understand our plight in such cases, nor our euphoria when we are in the opposite situation. As it was, I stared blankly at the floor, and saw a cockroach scuttle across the dirty flooring, but I didn't react save to follow its progress with my eyes as it disappeared beneath my fridge. _What did it matter? Did anything matter? And if so, why?_ That's what I remember thinking at the time anyway. Even when I heard a distant ringing from somewhere, I didn't move, until I registered the fact the ringing was coming from a phone near the kitchen sink. It still had a damn cord it was that old, but I didn't care about that save to grab the cord and pull the handset down into my lap once I had put my back to the door. I didn't say anything, I was still too far gone to really care. I just wanted the ringing to stop.

" _Alex?"_ That was Taweret's voice, which actually managed to grab my attention, at least a little. " _Are you alright? Where have you been?"_

I didn't answer, the doubts I had about her once again surfacing, this time stronger than ever before. How did she know it was me? How did she know when to call? Something didn't add up. _She is only using you._ My mind whispered softly. _You are but a tool._ And those thoughts filled me with enough anger to shake me out of my lethargy. Instead of accusing her outright, I decided to try something else. I decided to play her own game as thought and reason returned to me just enough for me to think clearly, probably the clearest I'd been for some time. "Yeah….I'm here. I'm….I'm not alright. I'm not hurt….but I'm not alright." I didn't have to fake the tears in my voice as I sobbed into the handset against my left ear, but I was also fighting the urge to grind my teeth together.

" _What happened my dear?"_ Taweret asked me, voice full of concern. Perhaps I was just imagining things, but did it sound insincere in some form, or was that nothing more than my damaged mind speaking? If it was the former, then how come I never heard it before? _Because you were too busy buying her act._ My mental voice retorted sharply. _She had you wrapped around her little finger from the word 'go.'_ While I wanted to deny the truth of the statement, I couldn't deny that there was the very real possibility of exactly that happening. I had done little in those past two weeks other than think, and talk to Samuel of course, and I couldn't deny that I had acted radically different in comparison to before. I had willingly helped them to extort people, something I _never_ would have done before I met her, just to name one example out of many regarding my altered personality.

 _This change was forced._ I heard the ghostly echo of Samuel saying within the safety of my mind. Instead of saying any of that though, I answered Taweret's immediate question in the same voice as before, full of tears and on the verge of a full on meltdown. "I was in a cell….they found me, they locked me up, but I got away when a team was sent in. I didn't stick around to ask questions when the shooting started. Set help me but I was terrified, Taweret." Okay, I was probably laying it on a bit thick, but Taweret bought my act completely.

" _Ssssshhh, it's alright. You're safe now Alex. You're going to be fine. That bastard hunter can't get to you now."_ That pretty much confirmed she had been keeping eyes on me or Samuel. For some reason that just fueled me with more anger, and while I still can't say that I trusted Samuel in that moment, he hadn't lied to me about his painful past, and he had left the cell open so that I had had a chance to escape should he fail. Those were not the actions of an enemy. All those things told me that it was better to distrust Taweret rather than Samuel.

Seeing no further point in keeping up the act, I pushed myself off the floor and went as far as the chord on my handheld allowed me to go as I hesitantly glanced out the nearest window in my living room. No surprise, I saw Taweret and Daisy, the blonde, recently Embraced snakehead, on the rooftop across from mine. Having my suspicions confirmed, I scoffed, the act I had been putting on discarded completely. "You know, for the longest time Taweret, I thought you had all the answers."

" _What do you mean, childe?"_ Taweret said and actually sounded confused, apparently she didn't think me capable of seeing through her act.

"Oh I think you know exactly what I mean." I retorted, the anger in my voice increasing with every word as I made it a point to keep my head out sight of the windows on the off chance Taweret had brought along anyone that had a thing for sniper rifles. "You played to my weaknesses from day one, built yourself up as someone that had my best interests at heart, but in truth, you're just like the god you had me bowing down to. Treacherous, depraved, and so utterly full of shit."

There was a long, pregnant pause before Taweret sighed heavily on the other end. When she did speak again, she sounded genuinely disappointed in me. " _Treacherous, I might be, depraved, I admit freely, but you will not take Set's name and drag it through the mud while you speak to me."_

"And now you're starting to sound like my mother. Besides, who are you to deny me that? After all, I actually spoke to him, unlike you, _priestess_. That message he wanted me to pass along is starting to make a lot more sense." I snapped back, referring to the none too veiled threat that Taweret's time was coming to an end as far as Set was concerned, that a lot of the Setites would likely be meeting their maker before too long.

" _You know nothing, Toreador._ " While that might have been true, I really didn't know as much as she did in regards to Set himself, but it still felt pretty good to hear the building rage in Taweret's voice as she spat out the last word. " _I gave you everything you asked for, that you were too terrified to ask for. And this is how you thank me?"_

"What is there to thank you for? For the torment you unleashed upon me? Make no mistake, Setite. Before this is over, you will have suffered far worse than I have at your hands." I hissed back, rage bringing life back to my body and mind. In those moments I wanted nothing more than to rip her apart.

" _Don't blame me for your own failings, young one._ " She spat back, anger seeping through with every syllable. " _You seek to harm but one of us, then you will have to face all of us!_ "

"That's what I'm counting on." I told her darkly, another character weakness of mine is my anger. I can easily lose track of just how many people I plan to take revenge on. Still, it worked out in the end but I was not alone. And I never told Taweret that I would do it alone. Without giving her a chance to reply I slammed the phone down, and ran as fast as I could. I had to get out of there before she found me, because alone I was no match for her, and she would have followers with her beyond Daisy who had no doubt since been sent into the apartment building to apprehend me. But I knew the layout far better than she did, I would escape, and meet with Juliet like I had promised. I would gladly face all the punishment they deemed fit and undergo, even the most horrific purification rituals to cleanse myself of the poison that lingered in my mind.

No sooner had I gotten to the stairwell however, did Daisy crash through the window facing the stairs I was just about to all but fly down and tackled me to the second floor landing. I hardly noticed the pieces of debris and glass that rained down over us both as Daisy and I rolled across the floor. I pushed her head up by her chin when her eyes started to change, knowing the signs of an Eyes of the Serpent when I saw one as her emerald orbs became slitted and dilated. "Not….happening!" I yelled, and shoved her away hard enough to hit the wall once I got my feet against her stomach and chest.

"This isn't over, traitor!" Daisy shouted as she scrambled to her feet, a piece of sharpened wood from the windowsill in her right hand as we both got to our feet about the same time. "To think I wanted to be just like you before Taweret gave me the Gift! You'd throw it all away, for what?!" Daisy demanded, while she answered a question for me at the same time. That hungry, longing look she'd given me that day in the gray room made a lot more sense all of a sudden.

But I didn't care about that in the slightest, too jacked up on rage and adrenaline to care. "My soul for a start!" I snarled back as we circled each other, mindful of the fact I didn't want to meet her gaze on the off chance she tried to freeze me again. "My real friends, my real family, not the fucked up shit Taweret filled both our heads with!"

With that proclamation, I activated Celerity, and unlike Samuel, she hadn't had any experience with dealing with something like me. Time slowed down to a veritable crawl as I rushed at her and grabbed the sharpened piece of wood only to rip it from her grasp and throw it away. Before she had time to even begin to react, I had already grabbed her and thrown her down the staircase. I didn't want to kill her, if there was a chance to save me, then perhaps there was a chance for her as well? At least I'd like to think so, but I know better these days. In any case, I took advantage of her little tumble down the stairs and jumped out of the smashed window. Celerity had started to wear off, but by the time it faded completely, I had easily jumped between three buildings and was on my fourth, leaving my apartment and Daisy far behind. I didn't slow down though, not by a long shot. I didn't need my supernatural speed to keep going, although the moment I saw another snakehead pop their heads out of the darkness, I made a mental note to hit the Celerity switch until it broke or I did, whichever came first.

So imagine my surprise when I saw Daisy's blonde head of hair several buildings behind me. "Track and field gold medalist in high school! You're gonna have to do better than that!" She shouted after me when she saw my astounded look despite the distance between us. I didn't need any further incentive to keep going as we jumped from building to building, with several other Setites doing their best to keep up with myself and the blonde streak that, to my surprise, was actually gaining on me. I didn't use Celerity just yet though, because I was reserving my strength for when I needed it most as we continued. It was a hell of a long run to Juliet's house, but if anyone could help me, it was the Malkavian Primogen, and I definitely needed the help.

I couldn't tell you how long we ran, only that when we finally reached the edge of Juliet's fenced in home with its well tended garden, I was within spitting distance of Daisy and I was on my last legs. Only three of the Setites could be seen, but I was sure the rest would catch up soon enough. I wasted little time in scrabbling up and over the metal fence before bolting for Juliet's front door. Except I didn't reach the door before the piece of wood Daisy had carried this whole way found a new home in my right calf, just below my knee. I went down and came to a skidding halt on the stoop, pain lancing up and down my leg from the piece of wood jutting out of it. The fall had done me no favors in the slightest as the thrown projectile now lodged in my leg tore through my flesh with every jarring impact across the ground.

Daisy was soon standing over me, the gold serpent gilded dagger in her right hand once more. The same dagger she had used to open up the wrists of those two women for me after I was starved in that gray room, I realized through the agony racing up my torn leg. "I'm going to enjoy this." She stopped though, when the door behind me opened and she froze upon spotting the madwoman standing before her.

Juliet only smiled and crossed her arms over her chest, crazed confidence oozing out of every pore as she glared at the gathering of snakeheads on her front lawn. "Little snakes, little snakes, you're not invited here little snakes." She crooned in a sing songy voice as her brown eyes darted from one Setite to the next before lingering on Daisy's face last. "You know not who you stand in front of young one. You have one warning to leave, before your mind is no more, little lost snake."

"Malkavian." Another of the Setites hissed as he took a hesitant step back. That alone caused an uncomfortable ripple to spread through the rest of the snakeheads behind Daisy, who was understandably confused by what was taking place. If I had had any loyalty left for them, I'd have told them to run for their lives, but I was torn between looking at them and the Primogen behind me.

"I don't care what she is, she's alone and obviously missing a few marbles." Daisy retorted before leveling her dagger in our general direction just as her eyes changed once more. I was frozen to the spot, not that I could have gotten away anyway, but to both of our surprises, Juliet just smiled darkly despite the fact she too couldn't move.

"I warned you, little snake." She purred, before her brown eyes began to glow with dark, eldritch light. That glance alone was enough to utterly convince me that I was staring into the abyss, where only madness and worse awaited me, and the more horrifying part was that a part of me wanted to dive right into the deep end, pulled in by the swirling, dark vortex in Juliet's formerly brown eyes. Instead, I instinctively looked away just when I felt an unnatural, discordant note fill the air that droned off into a continuous ringing in the night. I covered my ears as the ringing became loud, all consuming, drowning out coherent, rational thought, but the real source of her attack was not so different from the Setites' freezing stare as they made the mistake of meeting her gaze.

It wasn't long after this that the Dementia induced screaming started.

 **End Notes:** _ **Vergil1989**_ **:** _Well, I think it goes without saying that they just stared into the eyes of madness itself, and they can't look away. I saw a clan mod mission for the Tremere side where you end up brain fucked by Therese Voerman, and you have to put your damaged psyche back together. The Setites however, won't get so fortunate in being able to put themselves back together I imagine. Sorry Daisy fans, but she's gone bye bye and she isn't coming back. Hehe. In all seriousness though, this entire chapter was two parts awesome to put together and two parts emotional trauma since we had to hurt one of our favorite characters before it was over. Samuel will be fine but as you can imagine, it's not gonna be pretty for a while for the poor bastard. As for Alex, the Toreador clanbook went into detail regarding the highs and lows they suffer, so it seemed appropriate to just have her an emotionless zombie for the better part of a day at this point. She'll likely go back to being a zombie once things settle down, but for the moment she's back and herself again. Enjoy it while it lasts is all I'm saying. Anyway, see ya!_

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Hey folks, don't worry. While Alex isn't a Follower of Set anymore doesnt mean that she will simply rejoin her friends. Right now, she went there because a lack of choice, and she will still have some trust issues, that she'll hopefully overcome with some help. Well, if she doesn't she will get turned into a bird, at least mentally speaking, so she'd better not screw up. Until next time. See you!_


	16. Revelation of Truth

**Chapter 16: Revelation of Truth**

"You're early." Juliet said softly as the eldritch light faded from her eyes, however, the madness she caused remained. A quick glance over the front lawn was all I needed to know I was very, very glad I hadn't made the same mistake as those that had chased me. One of the Setites was walking on all fours, weapon between his teeth like he was a dog playing fetch. Another was making sounds like a monkey, while yet another was dancing madly without any direction or style. And Daisy? She stood there frozen, as if she had just gazed into the face of the gorgon itself.

Juliet slowly stalked forward and grasped the frozen Setite's throat in a vice like grip. Her thumb ever so slowly turned Daisy's head to the right side until a sickening crack echoed across the pavement, and the blonde dissolved into ash. Juliet stared at the ash for a moment, seemingly transfixed before she slowly lifted her gaze to one of the buildings. Taweret stood upon it, and glared down at us with a zealot's hatred. "This is Juliet's gift to all your kind." Said Malkavian told the priestess coldly, and gestured at both the ash and the mad people around us. "Feel free to collect your fallen, but don't expect them to recover. Death is far more merciful than what Juliet has wrought."

Without waiting for an answer, she turned to me, and lifted me up as if I was nothing more than a paperweight. She slowly, and surprisingly gentle, carried me back to her house when Taweret's voice echoed from behind. "You think we will just let this insult stand, _Malkavian_?"

Juliet stopped for a moment and turned around, her eyes once again beginning to glow with eldritch light. "You speak as if you had a choice. Leave, before your mind crumbles." More amazing was the fact Taweret did as she was bid and disappeared into the darkness without another word. Taking her retreat for what it was, Juliet only smiled triumphantly before the crazed lights in her eyes disappeared. "Snakeheads, I like the name you've given them." Malkavians….need I say more? Probably not, but just to make one thing clear, they are fucking scary when they want to be. Give me a good clean death any day over the Dementia they can instill if they have enough reason to unleash it upon the field.

Later I would learn that Juliet was gifted even for a Malkavian. While weaker in body than most vampires, even for those of her own clan, she didn't need to be strong in body, her mind could easily shatter most opponents. As it was, I was finding it incredibly hard not to faint away from terror, but it was thankfully counteracted by the immense relief she had come to my rescue despite everything that had transpired.

"Why are you early little bird? I expected you a couple hours later." She asked me as if she didn't just wreck the minds of the Setites after me. Hopefully she wouldn't do the same to me for showing up outside of the appointed time.

"They wanted to take me back. I- I didn't know where else to go." I admitted after a moment of hesitation. To be honest, at that point I was already feeling less Setite like, and didn't want to hang out with them anymore. But I also didn't know if I could trust Juliet or Sarah, especially after the latter's loudly proclaimed desires to kill or at least hurt me the next time we met. As for Samuel, well, he cared about me true, but after I abandoned him I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to see me suffer as well. As for Sarah's friend… I had no idea how they would react to me. Still, I came here to free myself of the Setites' influence, if that meant I had to suffer… then so be it.

The redhead only smiled though, and carried me to her couch in the drawing room with all of her paintings. Once I was situated, mindful of the piece of wood still in my leg, Juliet left the room before she soon returned with a first aid kit in hand. "You worry too much little bird." She mused, having either seen my thoughts or something as she got to work. "Samuel is not the one I'd worry about. Red eyes is red eyed for a good reason, and it's not her Brujah blood that has given her such an explosive temper. She will take time to convince of your….change of heart."

Great, if she hoped to cheer me up with that then she failed spectacularly. So I would probably get beaten up repeatedly, until she even considered believing one word I spoke. Not that I could blame her, I didn't trust her either at the moment, and what little trust she had put in me I had destroyed in spectacular fashion. It was all I could do not to slap my hands over my face, but the pain in my leg made me redirect my thoughts when Juliet yanked the wood piece out with no warning whatsoever. "Yowwch! Sheesh Juliet!" I cursed, but the sidelong glance she shot me had me biting my tongue, hard.

"Juliet still not happy with you. Left Samuel. Poor little Sammy. Cold, alone, afraid in the darkness." And cue the guilt trip. Having said her piece, Juliet casually threw the piece of wood she had torn out of my leg over her shoulder before tightly binding the wound in bandages. The tear in my flesh would close up in a manner of hours if not sooner, especially if I was given a blood bag, but I wasn't about to ask for anything of the sort as Juliet tied the bandages tight around my leg, to the point I was certain she was seriously considering cutting off the limb for having abandoned Samuel as I had. So I bit my tongue and only nodded as Juliet stood to her feet. "But Samuel is alive, though far from well, so you aren't drooling on the front lawn with the rest of the snakeheads."

"Right….thanks for that." I replied softly, not about to push my luck with Juliet now that I knew just what she was capable of.

Juliet merely nodded happily and danced around the room, but to my trained Toreador eyes the motion seemed tense. As if she was suppressing something and she was just trying to distract herself. Not that it was hard to guess what that something was. The fact that she softly sang under her breath helped to clue me in as well. "Sammy, Sammy, little boy. Bled out you did, but are you well? Momma worries always. Juliet… worries always." Two parts creepy, but one part heartwarming….that's Juliet in a nutshell for you.

I chose that it was better to stay silent, waiting for something to happen, though what exactly I couldn't say. If I were to guess, I would say for Sarah and her friend to arrive, which filled me with both terror and hope. Terror since Sarah was coming, and I've already mentioned how she was going to most likely happily tear my spine out of my ass and beat me to death with it, but hope because there was a chance, a chance, that her friend would be able to help me. And I wanted the help, that's the important part in all this. Any addict, or post cultist in my case, can't be helped if they don't want the help.

I was still deep in those thoughts when the doorbell suddenly rang, causing me to jump off the couch, which was pretty damn stupid since I landed on my bad leg and I collapsed with a cry of pain in response. "Little bird has yet to wait to fly again." Juliet told me oh so helpfully, and rushed past me towards the door, leaving me sprawled out on the floor. Malkavians….

But I didn't get a chance to complain for long because no sooner had the door opened did I see the black armored clad Sarah, her hair once more blonde as it'd been when I first met her, standing in the doorway. _Shit_. I had just finished the thought when she none too gently pushed past Juliet once her red eyes fell on me, and was at my side in the next eyeblink, her hand wrapped around my throat. _Double shit!_ "You! You little _shit_!" She hissed in my face, hand slowly tightening around my throat. _Triple shit!_

"Red eyes." Juliet tried but the Brujah didn't react, the next moment Juliet had grabbed her at the shoulder and turned her until the red eyed woman looked her in the eye. "Red eyes, stop." Sarah stared at me before she was forced to look at Juliet with pure rage in her eyes before suddenly letting go of me, hands clutching her head in sudden pain. It seemed Juliet had power over even the super fledgling, who knew? While I didn't need to breathe, I still took a greedy lungful of air after I was dropped to the floor while Juliet addressed Sarah directly once she had quit trying to melt Sarah's brain. "Red eyes, I said stop. Where. Is. Sammy?"

"Velvet." Sarah gasped out, falling to her knees. "Outside. He's...backseat. Asleep."

Without another word Juliet turned around and walked out the door. While we could hear how she opened the car's door Sarah slowly got to her feet again, still stumbling after the mental attack. "Damn….I thought Therese could brain bash someone into submission if she wanted to, but that was like someone put a drill to my temple and went to town." She groaned, her right hand rubbing at said temple in question as the pain slowly faded.

The moment she finished speaking Juliet returned, Samuel in her arms and I was shocked when I saw him. The man who always appeared so calm, graceful, and invulnerable, looked all but dead now. His life hanging by a single thread, body softly cradled in Juliet's embrace as she looked at him with worry. "It will take time for him to rejoin the light. Dark is his mind, nightmares torment him. And I can't help. Juliet can't help." She whispered mournfully before she slowly carried him upstairs without gracing us with another glance or word. Though that didn't stop her from softly whispering in Samuel's ears. She knew that he would hear it, that there was no chance that he would ever remember it, but still she did in an attempt to calm herself down. "Your room, is as you left it little boy. You are always welcome."

Well the threat of getting my mind shredded was gone for the moment, but that also meant that she wouldn't be there to stop the Brujah from ripping me to pieces. I just can't seem to win, now can I? But well, I had earlier said that I would rather die then get infected by Dementia so I guess my wish has been granted. A little sooner than expected sure, but well can't really complain about that now can I? But when I looked up towards Sarah, I saw she wasn't looking at me anymore as she slowly stood and faced the door just as another vampire entered the room. I didn't need an introduction to know who the ravishing Toreador was as she slowly removed her heavy fur lined jacket and draped it over her right arm. "So this is the home of a more...stable, Malkavian? It's more mundane than I expected."

"Yeah, hides the fact that she can melt your brain out of your ears, believe me I just learned that little fact." Sarah told her with a small shudder. "Anyway, snakehead bitch, Velvet. Velvet, snakehead bitch." I wasn't about to complain about the harsh way she chose to introduce me to her friend as Velvet gave Sarah a slightly reprimanding look, which the Brujah sighed and threw her right hand into the air in frustration. "Fine, her name's Alex. Happy?"

"Very." The Toreador replied, tone still admonishing. "Did you not bring me here to help her in the first place? How can we hope to achieve that when we treat her like the enemy?" Sarah grumbled something under her breath as she got to her feet with her usual fluid, combat ready grace, but said nothing else as Velvet all but glided to my side and gently helped me to a sitting position on the couch. "My apologies for my dear friend's….behavior, but she truly does care, in her way. It's a pleasure to meet you in person at last, although I wish it were under better circumstances."

Did she mean without me being indoctrinated in the first place or perhaps without the blood of someone who cared about me on my hands? It very well could have been both, but at least she was Toreador which meant that she could understand the sadness that threatened to drive me mad. Despite that, I still took a moment to admire the woman on my right side as she sat down next to me, with Sarah standing silently in front of the couch, her arms crossed and her entire demeanor making it clear I was not going to be let out of her sight, for _any_ reason. She'd follow me to the bathroom if she deemed it necessary, although technically such bodily functions were no longer a problem, but the intent was very clear anyway.

I suppose I should be grateful that she didn't beat the Setite out of me, so to speak. Well, her friend's presence apparently was enough to reign in her more violent impulses, although perhaps not completely given her gnashing teeth and clenching fists. But hey, I wasn't smeared across the floor, so plus for me. As for Velvet, if her name wasn't a dead giveaway, her chosen profession was that of a 'dancer', at a little club in Los Angeles called Vesuvius. Ignoring the obvious innuendo heavy name and her scantily clad form, Velvet herself was perfectly polite and had a kind, gentle heart, which only brought her into more sharp contrast with the Brujah woman that obviously had feelings for her, or still did, I wasn't about to ask in any event. Like Juliet, Velvet's a redhead, although unlike Juliet, I'm pretty sure Velvet's hair was dyed to be vibrant and hard to miss in a crowd, but for her it only enhanced her already alluring figure. Light gray eyes, ruby red lips, and the trademark pale skin and slender, curvy figure of all Toreador was hard to miss even in my currently emotionally destroyed frame of mind.

She smiled at me gently and brushed some of my hair out of my face with her lithe, delicate hands. "You look troubled child. Why?" She asked gently and slowly, beginning the conversation on a sympathetic base without pressuring me too much. Out of all the Toreadors I had met or would meet in the future, Velvet will always stick out in my mind because she's one of the few that actually gives a damn about everyone, regardless if they're Kindred or mortal. Though sometimes her gentle nature can cause her only more pain since she tries to avoid violence at any cost, although if someone threatens her few friends and those she considers her family, the gloves come off, although again she rarely ever fights her own battles. Which makes her relationship with Sarah make a kind of strange sense given their otherwise disparate personalities. Sarah lacks any sense of diplomatic sense as I think you've figured out, and she isn't at all afraid to get her hands dirty.

But I wasn't thinking about any of that. I was at a loss as to how to proceed because as far as I could figure, _everything_ was wrong. Nothing made sense anymore, and I had no idea how to even begin. So in the end, that was the place to start. "I don't know… nothing, absolutely nothing makes sense anymore." I whispered lowly, an incredibly general description of things, but one that was also true. I had no idea how to describe it despite that. Everything I thought I had known for certain seemed to crumble around me in those moments. But it also gave me something to build on as I looked down at my feet, my gaze unseeing as it fell on the bandage on my torn leg. "I said things….did things I can't take back, and it made sense at the time. I was….so sure of what I was doing, so certain I had figured everything out. Now? Tsk….now I couldn't tell you what the hell I was thinking, only that I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Something in my voice must have caught Sarah's attention, because the hard look in her red eyes faded a little and she decided to sit down. She still didn't make any move to give us any privacy or anything, but the simple fact she relaxed at all was a vast improvement over how she had been about to snap my neck not so long ago. Now she would only bash my face in, an improvement I suppose. As for Velvet, she only nodded, as if she had expected that very answer, which she had, and gently let her hand fall over my shoulder that was closest to her. "That's what they do. They chip away at you, break you down, and then take a sledgehammer to end what's left before they put you back together as they see fit."

Startled, I looked up, wondering how the hell she could know such things. As far as I was aware, this wasn't exactly common knowledge. If it were then a lot of things could have been avoided. Perhaps, or perhaps that's just me trying to blame someone or something else for my own stupidity of getting myself caught. In any event, I could only stare up into Velvet's face as her words sunk in as she nodded knowingly. "Like you, I was already a Toreador when they found me, but unlike you, I went willingly, at the time. I was deceived, I followed someone I thought was a friend to a Setite sanctuary, but she revealed her true colors when the doors shut behind me. The trap had been sprung long before, since we had….developed a rapport beforehand, but I realized the truth too late when the doors were locked behind us and she revealed her true face to me. The rest is no doubt similar to your own experience."

I was sceptical of her claims, how could I not be? A friend of Sarah going through the same trauma I had just seemed like to much of an coincidence. But the way she looked at me knowingly with those open and inviting eyes silenced those doubts, mostly. Velvet has a way of drawing people to herself, of making them open up to her. Toreador are naturally gifted in that department, but Velvet had turned it into an art form all her own. "H-how did you get out?" I asked once I had gathered my thoughts, in some small way at least.

Velvet sighed and shook her head at my question. "Truth be told, the girl I was, was buried long ago. Susan….a dead girl, and someone I considered too weak….but she's still a part of me. I still pray for her on occasion, if you can believe that." It _was_ surprising, to say the least, given our circumstances, but Velvet only offered a sad, small smile as she saw the surprise form on my face. "Sarah had much the same reaction when I told her."

"Does… does it get better? The guilt? The hatred?" I asked her in a small voice, afraid of the answer if I were honest with myself. Though a part of me told me that I deserved nothing less than eternal guilt and self hatred. And considering what I'd done, it was indeed well deserved, but Velvet simply nodded before she let her hand fall from my shoulder.

"It'll take time, and a lot of sleepless nights, but it does get better. You _want_ to get better, that's the main thing that is the hardest for people like us to accept." Knowing full well she was speaking from experience helped more than you might guess.

That's not to say I still didn't have doubts however. "I d-do. But I'm afraid. Afraid of what has yet to happen."

"The fear of the future is not something we Kindred are alone in. Humans in particular excel in that area, and even though I've never met a werewolf, I'm certain that even they are plagued with doubts from time to time." Velvet told me kindly, a small smile on her full lips. Perhaps she was hoping to cheer me up, but at that moment it was lost on me.

As for Sarah, at the mention of werewolves, she only snorted. "Right. Tell that to the one that tried to tear my face off, or the one that Nines blew up with a grenade. Trust me VV, you aren't missing much."

"Be it as it may, they're still people in their own right." Velvet replied with a look that said 'shut up you're not helping here'. "Despite our differences, didn't you tell me that those werewolves were fooled into believing you had attacked their territory?" I know now Velvet had already known the answer, she had just wanted Sarah to think about the time in question so she thought twice before she opened her mouth again. As it was, the Brujah could only glare impotently at the almost smug look on the dancer's face when she realized she had the upper hand.

"Has anyone told you that you fight dirty VV?" Sarah asked after a few moments of silence had passed between us.

"Only you Sarah." She chuckled softly before turning her attention on me once more. "But that's not why I'm here. Alex, if you are willing to talk. I will listen as long as you want me to." The simple honesty in her voice made it seem so easy to just let go of my doubts and fears, and tell her everything. Every little detail that tormented me, and those that were anything but little. Except it wasn't that easy, not for me, and while I didn't see it at the time as I looked away from her, Velvet had expected me to clam up on her. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere, none of us are." She softly stated before she stood to her feet and motioned for Sarah to follow her. The Brujah glanced between us before falling in behind the Toreador. "I hope our host won't mind if we raid her fridge. It's been a long trip to get here." Velvet said once they had put some distance between me and themselves.

"I'll talk to her, I need to check on Sammy anyway." Sarah stated as they left the room together, allowing me some time to think and process in private. I listened to the Brujah's footsteps absently as she climbed the stairs and opened the door. Juliet was softly singing to Samuel, I couldn't make out the exact words, only that they were mournful. Which just made sure that I felt even worse than I did a moment ago, even if that wasn't her intent. If I were to guess I would say she wasn't even aware of the fact, although being a Malkavian she could I suppose, but she was merely doing what she could for Samuel and her own frame of unhinged mind. As for me, I gingerly pulled my bandaged leg up onto the couch and laid back in an effort to get comfortable. I had already bled all over the floor and the couch just getting to the piece of furniture, so I wasn't worried about making more of a mess. Not that I was in a frame of mind to really care.

No, my mind was occupied with thoughts of my failures and with scolding myself for my stupidity. I couldn't believe how stupid I had been when I believed Taweret. In my mind there was no excuse that I could accept for what I had done. Like a looming shadow over my head, judging all I did for her since I met her, all the things I had done with her, and had allowed her to do to me, although as I had also told Samuel, the beginning hadn't been my choice.

 _Weak and feeble._ My conscience hissed at me accusatory. Perhaps if I had been stronger, faster, smarter, I wouldn't have been captured, and none of this would have happened. _This is your fault, all of it._ I could remember thinking darkly, and at that time I truly believed that it was solely my fault. It wasn't, but at the time I didn't see it that way.

"It wasn't your fault." Velvet said suddenly from behind, and I whirled around to see her standing there over the back of the couch, wine glass in hand, sipping blood like a wine connoisseur. It was a very weird image, given her….outfit, but at the same time, she only seemed to become more alluring despite the contrasts between the two. Wine connoisseur, at least for me, conjures up images of people in at least comfortably rich if not outright loaded individuals, having a nice day at a winery, testing the finest vintages.

"Did you read my mind?" I asked, once I had gotten over the shock of her seeing right through me.

Her rich laugh echoed through the house for a few moments before it quieted down into a small chuckle. "No child, I merely know what to expect from people who have gone through a traumatic ordeal. I've met more than a few veterans who were plagued by very similar doubts, believing that if they had been better they would have been able to save their comrades and friends. Sarah too, has gone through the same after LaCroix was dealt with."

"How- how did you manage to deal with it?" I whispered and lowered my head in shame. "Because I don't think I can."

"Alone? I don't know if you can overcome something like this on your own. I most certainly didn't. I had help, lots of help. In the end you have to accept that it happened, and that no matter what you may think about it afterwards, there is no way for you to change it." She told me calmly, but also sadly, for she knew that while it was the truth, it wouldn't comfort me. And it didn't, but it also gave me something to think about as Velvet sat down in the same chair Sarah had been occupying earlier since I was taking up most of the couch. "And before you ask, I...had someone in LA that helped me back to some semblance of who I once was. Susan might have died, but I survived, I was made stronger, despite everything that I endured, or because of it. His name is Isaac Abrams, the current baron of Hollywood and its surrounding areas. He's….like a father to me, a role he filled when my own was rarely in the picture long before I was Embraced."

I absorbed all of that slowly, thinking about everything she had told me. Trying to apply it to my own situation. I had no Isaac Abrams, the one person who could have filled that role now lay upstairs. Closer to death then to life, and partly because I couldn't be bothered to help him. Sarah said that he would get better, but even if he did, why would he want to help me? For me, it was obvious, he wouldn't, not anymore. Instead of dwelling on that, lest I shut down completely again, I looked away from Velvet once more with a heavy sigh escaping me. "It doesn't matter, Taweret will likely attack this place, and if she doesn't, Charles and his men will. You'd have been better off staying home."

"Taweret? Perhaps, but she will not be as arrogant as before. She will first gather her forces after her last followers were so easily broken, so we still have time. As for Charles, he isn't aware of Juliet's involvement. To protect her, your friend Samuel made it look like he made an attempt on her life." That got my attention and I immediately looked towards the 'dancer' with renewed interest. If she was telling the truth, it was no wonder Charles was after him. Not that I had any reason to doubt her word, but I had been lied to before mind you. Velvet, seeing my astonished look, only directed her gray eyes to the upstairs bedroom. "Ask Samuel himself when he awakens. I'd be disappointed if you believed me at my word after what you've been through."

" _If_ he wakes up." I muttered darkly returning my gaze to the floor. "He looked like a corpse when Juliet carried him in."

"Perhaps, but just because he looked like one doesn't mean that he will become one." She shot back, unimpressed by my pessimistic outlook. Taking a sip of her wine glass, Velvet swirled the contents of her glass for a moment before she spoke further. "He's made of stronger stuff than most, especially if half of what Sarah's told me is to be believed. I've seen vampire hunters before though, so I don't doubt it, except they were far more interested in _hunting_ me than helping me as he has you."

"Yeah." I muttered back leaving the 'and look where that got him' unsaid.

She shook her head, but said nothing at my unspoken words, instead choosing to go another route. "Sarah also told me a little about you, although that was between her angry snarls and growls she tends to favor when she's upset over something. She doesn't do 'sad', like most people, not if she can get angry. She respects you, even now, even though she made it no secret that she would end you if you did anything she didn't like. It took a great deal of effort to convince her otherwise."

"No surprise there. Truth be told, it would probably be better if you would just kill me now." I replied morosely, but the next moment, Velvet was at my side. I don't know when she had moved, or when she had even _begun_ to move, but I blinked and there she was, mere inches from my face.

The sadness in her gray eyes was hard to miss as she stared unflinchingly into my blue orbs. "Don't say something like that, child. Please, life is far too precious to be thrown away on a whim."

"It's not a whim. I am still a risk to all of you. I can't be trusted." I argued back, unable to look away even if I had wanted to. Not because she was so close, but because I just….couldn't.

"And yet your claims to the contrary make me believe that we can." Velvet retorted softly and caressed my cheek with her left hand, her touch just as soft and gentle as her namesake suggested. "I ask you to take heart like so many others before you have done in the face of tragedy. If anything I implore you to maintain your will to live until Samuel has returned to us, so that he may judge your worth himself." Easier said than done, but I only nodded minutely in response. It seemed to satisfy Velvet though because she walked back to her chair and sat down once more, glass once more in hand. "It's not going to be easy, not in the slightest, but you've already done the hard part. You broke away from them. The rest is simply getting past the things you did while under their control."

"And that is the problem, I don't think that I can." I told her honestly, thinking of my mother, mostly. Sure, I had never gotten along with her but still, I never would have ever dreamed of the possibility that I would be her murderer. There was also the sick satisfaction I had gotten out of the deed that I had to contend with as I crushed the life out of her. Just looking at my hand while was on that couch made me see the blood and bits of bone still clinging to my pale skin, but a vigorous shake of my head dispelled the vivid hallucination. In short, I thought of myself as a monster, while not in body then in mind, for what else but a monster could have crushed the life out of her own mother and gain little else than satisfaction from it?

Velvet saw the action, and cocked her head ever so slightly to the side. "Why not? What prevents you from doing so?" The older Toreador asked softly, patiently and infinitely open minded. She likely guessed I had just had a flashback of some kind, given my reaction a moment ago, but as to the nature of it, she couldn't begin to guess. She was no Malkavian, but she wasn't stupid either.

"Because… I did things… things that don't deserve forgiveness." I whispered before I shook my head furiously. "And now I talk about them with someone I barely know in a house of someone who threatened to turn me mad, with someone waiting for me to make a wrong move so that she can bash my skull in." I snapped at last, and turned away from Velvet as much as I could. "Just….please….leave me be." I whispered, on the verge of tears once more, but I didn't want this beautiful stranger to see them. I hardly knew her, but it wasn't just that I think. I had had enough for one day.

Thankfully Velvet left me be, that night anyway. Or it would be more accurate to say that she didn't press me any further, but I could still feel her worried and emphatic eyes on me. Unsurprisingly, I felt the accusing Sarah threw my way when she left Juliet alone with Samuel. The Malkavian had yet to reappear from the room where she had taken the hunter. She refused to leave her surrogate son's side, not that anyone blamed her. And so it went for the next several days. Sarah would glare anytime she passed, Velvet would occasionally try to get me to open up, and Juliet was never seen save to get something for Samuel or to get a bit of blood for herself. All the while, I slowly just collapsed inward on myself, going back to my fugue where I was alone with my thoughts, which just spiraled downward.

On the twelfth day I heard Samuel's voice once more, but it was nothing but a wordless scream caused by the thoughts that tormented him in his coma like state. The sound, so vulnerable and unlike him at all, made my heart bleed. I wanted to help, to apologize, to disappear, to die, all of it at once, but in the end I did nothing. Save for tormenting myself further in the confines of my mind anyway. It was enough to snap me out of my fugue for a moment, but once things quieted and I was sure it had just been a terrible dream, I slipped away again, content to hide in my little shell until Gehenna came. The only time I moved was to feed myself, and even that became bland and tasteless, mostly because I had gone back to blood bags, but also because I just couldn't bring myself to care about the taste of the crimson fluid anymore. I could have been sucking down rat blood again, and it wouldn't have mattered to me in the slightest.

Something….changed though. I overheard a conversation, about me but not directed at me, since I had gotten to the point I wouldn't even acknowledge those around me anymore. Velvet and Sarah were talking in soft, hushed voices, as if afraid of setting something off from upstairs I think rather than upsetting me, at least as far as Sarah was concerned anyway. She had made it no secret she could care less about what I thought about her opinion of me, but this had her quiet for some reason. "I think I know what's really bugging miss snake eyes." She began, all but oblivious to the fact I was listening not twenty feet away. "You see the news today?"

"No. I try to avoid watching the news as much as possible since it only reminds me of everything that is wrong with the world." Velvet replied softly.

"Right, sorry." Sarah muttered softly and rubbed the back of her head, having forgotten for a moment that Velvet was quite sensitive where she wasn't. It made sense that the dancer wouldn't watch the news since there's been nothing but bad things all over the airwaves, these days especially. Or at least that's what it feels like, sure the world moved on but the only things that's considered news were those things that differed from the normal situation and those are more often bad than not. It wasn't so different back then either. "Anyway, they found a body today, it looked like she'd been hit by a shotgun blast, except there was no trace of a gun having been fired."

"Are you saying…?" Velvet asked, putting the pieces together as I felt her gaze fall on me for a moment.

"Yeah, I think the Queen of the Snakeheads had something to do with it." Sarah replied, and for once, there was no trace of accusation or anger or anything of the sort in her voice at all anymore.

"But… didn't you tell me that she's killed before? Whose death could put her in such a state?"

"That's the thing… they found identification on the body. You know the usual driving license and the like… her name was Mirabelle Aimsworth Watson. She was you know who's mom." Sarah sighed heavily before she and Velvet both looked in my direction. "I think Queen Bitch did something to her….and that's why she's been so hard on herself." While she left it unsaid, Velvet's sharp breath inward was more than enough to tell me she had put the pieces together.

Except she understood exactly what Taweret had put together. "That's not entirely accurate, Sarah. Taweret put them together, yes, she orchestrated the situation that ended….the way it did, but the choice was still hers, except the decision was already made by then. Taweret manipulated her all too perfectly. That's what they do."

"I don't get it." Sarah told her, a little confused. "What for? She didn't gain anything from it."

"That's where you are wrong, those things are called Revelations. And they pretty much ensure the continued loyalty of those who undergo them. Taweret simply approached it in her unique fashion, but the end result is the same." Velvet sighed and shook her head just as I started to roll over, unable to hide in my shell any longer as fresh tears began to roll down my face. "That's what happened, isn't it? Wrath was your undoing."

"Y-yes….but s-she started with Terror." I choked out, somehow. "She had me starved….driven to insanity. I was allowed rats once the Beast took hold. I saw it as a gift from the gods themselves." My entire body was shaking by then as if in fever, and I couldn't shut up now that I had started talking.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Sarah cursed as she finally caught on. She looked ready to curse more or beat someone to death, whatever happened in the next few moments. I think by then she was hoping for another Setite attack. She'd be disappointed, but later she'd have all the Setites she could ever want to tear to bloody ribbons.

Velvet ignored her as she knelt next to me and ran her hand across my face as I continued to pour out everything I'd kept back until then. I left nothing out, nothing, despite the fact I hadn't known her long at all. I don't remember how long I spoke, only that Velvet never moved from my side while Sarah just stood and listened, her mood darkening with every passing moment. At least her anger was no longer directed at me however, having finally begun to understand just what we were up against.

I think I threw up in between, in disgust at myself and what I had seen, what I had done. But to be honest I can't really remember, it all seems blurry once I started to talk. Like it was happening to someone else, in a movie that I had seen long ago. In any event, when it was over, Sarah was no longer looking at me with hatred, and Velvet hadn't moved a muscle as I finished pouring out every little detail of my time with the Setites. She simply rested a hand against my crimson streaked face before I felt my eyes begin to drift close on their own accord. She smiled tenderly down at me as sleep, true sleep, started to claim me. "You're going to be fine." She reassured me before I passed out from sheer exhaustion.

I don't know how long I slept, but I do know how I felt when I woke up. I felt….better. I was far from okay, but I no longer felt that crushing weight upon my mind. It was as if I could start to think again after a long time of mental silence. I was both elated and terrified, elated due to me being free of Taweret's lies, and terrified about what I would do with my new found freedom. Whatever the case, I was able to sit up and stretch my legs, but I didn't allow myself to linger for long. I was a mess, I smelled funny, and I was pretty sure half my face had caked on, dried on tears. So yeah, I probably looked like an extra off The Walking Dead or its spin off. On the couch opposite of me lay Sarah, peacefully, and that is normally not a word I would associate with her, sleeping while Velvet was braiding her hair a little. I had to blink at the sight before me, but Velvet only smiled up at my astonished look. "Go, we'll talk once you're more presentable." She said in greeting, smiling softly up at me before she went back to playing with Sarah's hair.

I merely nodded in reply not trusting my voice at the moment and slowly stood up and walked towards the bath that Juliet had provided us with on this floor. Not to sound jealous or anything but the bath alone was probably bigger than my rundown apartment and probably thirty times as pretty.

Having marveled at the sight long enough, I stepped into the shower, oh that glorious shower, how I missed to do that now that I think about it, and let the warm water caress my skin. I could feel how the dried up blood was washed away and I felt far better about it than I would have expected. You'd never know just how much you appreciate such little things like a shower if you haven't lived without it for a while. I think I stayed under the hot water for a fair bit longer than I had originally planned, but no one came to complain about it, and when I finally stepped out, wrapped in one of Juliet's plush, soft towels, I saw a stack of fresh clothes outside the bathroom. I could just see Sarah darting around the corner. It seemed the Brujah was trying to make amends in her small way for her behavior regarding me, but she had nothing to forgive as far as I was concerned.

If anything, I still felt like I owed her an apology, I hardly treated her courteous to say the least. She got wounded while looking for me and I gave her shit for it, yeah not one of my finer moments. Sometimes time travel to slap sense into myself would be really appreciated, no luck so far, but hey, maybe they'll figure it out someday, fingers crossed. In any event, I pushed such thoughts to the wayside as I took the clothes inside and quickly slid into them. Feeling, at least somewhat, like a new woman in a sleeveless white top and a pair of comfortable sweat pants, I nodded my thanks when Velvet handed me a wine glass of fresh blood. "I figured you'd need a drink." She offered in way of explanation.

"I did, I do, I mean." I replied, and gladly accepted the glass with a grateful nod. A moment later, half of the glass was empty and I offered a little moan as the liquid did its work, satisfying that ever present need we vampires will always endure until the day we bite it. It wasn't that I had been starved or anything, but it was like I just now began to taste it again, to actually feel the world around me once more.

"So, how's our favorite former snakehead doing today?" Sarah asked, a small grin tugging at her lips as I walked past her and Velvet both to take a moment to just sit down and relax now that I had started to come back to my senses.

"Well, my suicidal urges are gone for the moment." I told her honestly, and shrugged. "Aside from that I feel like the greatest moron ever, and one of the greatest bitches to walk the earth. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry, for everything. I know it never will be enough, but it's the best I can give you at the moment I-"

"Oh come off it Alex, you weren't you." Sarah interrupted me and waved her hand dismissively as she did, but she smiled despite the fact she had made it clear she hadn't wanted to hear my apology. "If anything, I'm the one that should be apologizing since I've been pretty bitchy from the get go when we got you in that cell."

"I deserved it." I shot back immediately and shook my head. "Seriously, I am still not certain how to deal with all of this, but I think that now I at least have a chance of… getting over it." I said as I set my glass down for the moment while Sarah and Velvet situated themselves in Juliet's drawing room.

The Brujah just shrugged as she leaned against a wall and crossed her arms. "Meh, you did kinda deserve it, true, but at the same time, I didn't get just what had happened to you until Velvet spelled it out for me, right before you spilled your guts." It was here she looked away and her smile disappeared entirely. "I'm not about to pretend I get it even now, but I understand just how fucked up these Setites are. I don't think I'd have come back from that."

"I did, and I'm not nearly as strong as you." I told her quietly and hugged my knees. I slowly started to rock back and forth as I continued to whisper. "But you got one thing wrong, you still have no idea just how fucked up they are. You have to experience it to truly understand it… everything else is just a weak echo."

"No thanks, I'll pass." Sarah retorted, injecting some much needed levity into the conversation even if that hadn't been her intention as she looked up about the same time I let my legs fall to the floor once more. "I saw enough of what you were to know I'd rather someone cut my arms off and beat me to death with them MK style first."

"Thanks for the image." I told her dryly while doing my best not to imagine said picture in my head. I would probably get nightmares, and I already knew I was going to be having enough of those as it were. Still, I turned to Velvet and offered the elder Toreador a grateful, heartfelt smile even if it didn't reach my eyes. I doubt I'd smile so easily for a long time, but it was still a vast improvement. "Thank you, for coming out this way Velvet. To...help someone you hardly knew anything about."

"It was no trouble." She told me modestly, and graced me with a smile of her own. "It's good to truly meet you, Alex." That was the real trick wasn't it? I was truly me again, even if I wasn't quite the same as before. No one would come out of that unmarked though, something Velvet understood as I was beginning to. "I would get to know who you truly are before I head home. Isaac is likely starting to get worried, even though he tries to pretend otherwise when anyone else asks."

"I- I would like to get to know you better as well, but… perhaps another time?" I asked her weakly, not certain how to handle her departure. I had hoped to talk with her some more since I knew that I was just getting started. I was far from fine, but I would be, in time. That was before a horrifying thought began to dawn on me. "But what about the Setites? Won't they attack you? Or attack us? Taweret must be furious."

To my surprise, Sarah actually laughed in response. "Oh she is furious alright, thing is, she has other things on her mind right now."

"What do you mean?" I asked, utterly confused as I flicked my eyes between her and Velvet.

"I suppose there is no harm in telling you now, after all you are one of us again. Sammy's brilliant plan? Well, we hit them all over the city to make them crawl back into their little hideouts. Unfortunately for them, you can't move that many people around without someone noticing. The past two weeks, they've been hit by all kinds of uninvited guests. I heard even the Kuei-Jin joined in at one location, and then got slaughtered by some of the local Anarchs." No wonder she was so happy, I mused as Sarah just grinned. "Needless to say, they're running out of places to hide. We keep whittling them down, and the attack on their main temple will be that much easier when the time comes."

"It's going that well?" I asked, disbelief evident in my voice, I mean I knew that Taweret could make mistakes but still this seemed like a huge blunder on her part.

"I don't think Sammy expected it to work so well either, but thing is this so called priestess doesn't know how to fight a war, and Sammy? Well, he won it before it even began. It helped he had some pretty powerful incentive to take the fight to them." She finished, and while she didn't say it, I knew she was talking about me.

It was that moment that Juliet chose to emerge from Samuel's room. Bloody tear streaks contrasting with her unusually pale skin as she slowly walked to the fridge. She moved as if in a trance, slowly and unfocused as she grabbed a blood pack. "Can't help Sammy." She mumbled lowly, worry evident in her voice. "Mind closed off, can't help, can't strengthen him. He is all alone."

Her mumblings were interrupted when she took a huge gulp of the blood in her hand, her gaze settling on me for a moment. "Little bird, good to see you chirping again." While she seemed genuinely happy about seeing me doing better, it was evidently clear that any happiness she felt was overshadowed by the worry she felt for her son.

With a nod to me and Sarah, she stepped away from the fridge to make her way back upstairs only to freeze suddenly. I looked around, hoping to spot a reason for her to do so, but couldn't find anything. That was until the door opened. Samuel, while he looked frail and about to crash down on the floor, bags under his eyes, looked also determined, as he slowly set one foot before the other and left the room he had lied in for the last several days. His chest was bare, showing his impressive physiology. While I was into women I could still appreciate the beauty of a male's body, and lets just say I understood Sarah's more carnal desires in that moment. Like he told me, his left side was as scarred as his arm had been, partly even worse.

"Sammy!" Juliet cried in pure euphoria and literally jumped up the stairs to stand beside him and give him a relieved hug. He grunted but smiled as he gingerly wrapped an arm around Juliet's waist. "So worried, Juliet was so worried for you."

"Hey Jules." He softly greeted her and smiled down on her. "I don't get to die just yet."

In response she only tightened the hug and sniffled against his broad chest. "You were so silent, even your mind. Nothing but darkness."

"Hey now." He whispered softly to her and returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm. "I promised that I wouldn't leave you any time soon. After all, someone has to take care of you...mom."

If he had hoped to calm her down with that, then I can only say it did the exact opposite as she burst into tears and held onto for dear life while whispering. "Sammy, Sammy, little boy." Over and over she said it as she helped him down the stairs one step at a time. How she managed it, or how Samuel managed not to trip over his own feet, I will never know, but none of us moved as we came to a silent agreement that Juliet needed this far more than any of us, although the sense of relief was palpable between myself and Sarah. Velvet only smiled at the scene that played itself out as Juliet helped him down into the last available chair in her drawing room before bounding away to get him something to eat, humming merrily all the while.

Samuel gave a relieved sigh once he was off his feet just as Sarah stepped forward and ruffled his gray head. "Bout damn time you woke up lazy ass. I thought I'd have to do all the heavy lifting with you dozing away upstairs this whole time."

"Good to see you as-" He didn't get a chance to finish as Sarah suddenly lowered herself, grasped his head and kissed him, rather passionately. At first I merely smiled at the scene, but as she showed no signs of stopping, I slowly grew uncomfortable. After what felt like, let's just say too long, she stopped with the make out session and released him from the kiss.

Samuel was breathing heavily and his pupils seemed to be a little dilated. "Bet you wish you didn't need oxygen about now, right?" Sarah asked, grinning down at him even as I noticed something in her gaze that I wouldn't have imagined before ever being present in her red eyes. Love, relief, joy, and something close to contentment now that she had her boy back.

"W-what was that?" He asked slowly, and if I were to judge, I would say pretty damn dreamily.

"Let's just call it extra incentive to get better soon." Sarah mused as she nonchalantly wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand before she spun on her heel. Not that it mattered as a few tears of relief escaped her, but she erased the evidence before she turned back to face us. "A-anyway, you're just in time lazy butt, Alex is back to her senses."

"Then my sacrifice was not in vain." He said simply and leaned back, apparently content with that knowledge.

"Told you, like a goddamn knight." Sarah told Velvet, who only nodded a broad smile on her face.

"It's good to meet you at last, Samuel." She said, her lips still pulled up into a smile as she came into Samuel's field of vision so he didn't have to strain himself. "I'm Velvet, and when you and Sarah wish to visit me, you're both more than welcome. And not just in my club." She added with a sly wink at him, causing Sarah to giggle and Samuel to actually blush a little. I never would have thought he'd had it in him before that moment.

"Sammy, such a pretty boy. Makes all the ladies go crazy." Juliet told him fondly and ruffled his hair, tears of joy still streaming down her face.

" _Mom_." Samuel whined like a little school boy at her comment, and blushed even more. Despite his antics, he couldn't help but smile at his surrogate mother. I think we all knew that both he and I had still a long way to go before we were back to normal, but we were already underway, and that's what counted in the end. As it was, the smile he threw my way was enough to get make me feel a slight surge of relief before he turned back to Sarah. "So...just what did I miss?" He asked as Juliet put a tray across his lap which was all but overflowing with food. Where she had found the time to make it all I will never know.

Sarah only smiled as she crossed her arms over her chest once more. "Oh you have no idea Sammy."

 **End Notes** : _**Nomad-117:**_ _Hey guys, hope you enjoyed our latest bound of insanity. I have to admit that I most certainly did. Even though I didn't enjoy tormenting Alex, Juliet, Sarah and Velvet, the way I did I looked forward to igniting the spark that would ensure that they get better. And Vergil was right with me all the way. We contemplated cutting this chapter short just before you guys could see what had Juliet frozen but… we aren't that cruel. Most of the time. Always looking forward to reviews. Until then. See you!_

 _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Took the words right out of my mouth there Nomad lol. In all seriousness though, Nomad's the one that did most of the heavy lifting this time around. I had my moments, but the more emotional stuff, especially in the last few sections, were all him, I just ran edits as we went along. I'm pretty happy with how things turned out too, needless to say, especially with Velvet since we know so little about her. They leave it pretty open ended during Bloodlines, so it didn't take much for us to imagine she had a similar experience as Alex did, which would, at least for this, explain why she doesn't like to talk about 'Susan the dead girl', to paraphrase her own words if you go Malkavian for the game and follow a specific line of conversation with her. Anyway, hope you guys approve of our own 'canon', so to speak, and we'll see you next time. Adios!_


	17. After Effects

**Chapter 17: After Effects**

"Jules… I know you're worried, but choking me with food isn't going to help me get better." Samuel said slowly while he was currently busy dodging the full spoon Juliet was trying to jab into his mouth. I was finding it incredibly hard not to laugh at the sight as we sat around in the Malkavian's living room, Velvet having returned to LA the other night. We still hadn't had….our talk, regarding what had happened, but I was feeling better as I watched the two argue.

"Sammy has to eat so that he grows up to be a strong handsome man." She happily retorted and didn't stop with her attempt to shove more food into the poor human.

"That's not how this… I'm too old to grow more." Samuel said while a small smile tugged as his lips though it promptly left his face when the spoon found its intended target. He frowned and rolled his gray eyes at the whole affair. Apparently this was an old song and dance from when he was a kid, or so my Auspex led me to believe anyway.

"Got ya." The Malkavian sang happily, and grinned at the fuming Samuel.

Sarah was no help as she just snorted in amusement at the sight, making my valiant effort not to laugh that much harder. When Samuel glared at her as if she had just betrayed him, she only grinned wider. "Hey, don't look at me little baby Sammy, I'm enjoying the show."

He quickly swallowed the bite he had been force fed and turned to look at Juliet. "Mom, seriously I'm full. Anymore and you'll over feed me. That won't help me either."

"Sorry, Sammy." Juliet said, and the look on her face that followed was just devastatingly sad as her eyes fell and her smile turned upside down in the space of an eyeblink.

"Mom, don't be sad. I'm not angry with you. I know you mean well." Samuel quickly added in haste, no doubt eager to prevent any tears. "I told you, you are one of the few things in my life that I never regretted. You always make me happy, and you know that I mean it, don't you?"

"Yes, little Sammy is honest with Juliet." She said with a small smile, but didn't move from her spot, apparently uncertain as to what to do. Samuel took care of that when he rolled his eyes with a small laugh and hugged her.

"Come on, mom. You know you want to." The truth of his words could not be denied as Juliet lost herself in the embrace and happily babbled something to herself. It took me a few moments to realize that she had just fallen asleep in his arms. "Poor Jules, she ran herself to the bones didn't she?" He asked rhetorically as he looked at her worriedly. Just another example as to why he is such a great guy. Just woke up from a coma a few days ago? Better worry about mom, but that's Samuel for you.

"You just now noticed?" Sarah chimed in as she deftly caught the bowl she'd been feeding Samuel from before Juliet dropped it in her exhausted state. Setting it down on a nearby table, she soon had the sleeping Malkavian over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I got this one Sammy. 'Sides, I figure now's a good as time as any you two talked." Before either of us could protest, she was already heading up the stairs, a peacefully sleeping Juliet slung over her right shoulder without a care in the world.

"Take care of her, please? I'm worried about her." Samuel asked her with another concerned glance, it wasn't the first time where Sarah and I exchanged a glance that just screamed 'could you please start worrying about yourself damn it!'. He held up his hands from his chair and theatrically zipped his mouth shut a moment later. That satisfied Sarah as she started away with her precious bundle still snoring away.

Once Sarah had disappeared, an uncomfortable silence, at least to me, fell over the living room. The only reason we had moved out to her living room instead of keeping to her drawing room was because Juliet had insisted on cleaning up the mess I had left behind. And when a Malkavian goes full on OCD, it's best to just get out of their way. That and I was in no hurry to have my brain melted, so I had all too happily helped get Samuel into the next room once Velvet had been sent on her way a couple nights ago.

"So, how have you been?" Samuel asked me nonchalantly, looking at me expectantly as if nothing weird had happened in recent times.

"Really?" I asked, not sure if he was being serious. After all, it should be abundantly clear how I've been.

Realizing his error, Samuel rubbed the back of his neck and rolled his head in embarrassment at his obvious blunder. "Yeah, dumb question, let me try this again. So, how are you now, all snake free?" He asked instead, still sounding utterly nonchalant about it all. As if I hadn't left him to die in that building, or that I had said all those horrible things to him.

As torn up as I felt about all that still, I managed a weak smile all the same since I was just happy we were talking at all. "Better than I should be, given everything I did...Samuel. I'm just glad you're alright."

"Yeah, that's not gonna last once the last of Sarah's blood leaves my system. Trust me, withdrawal isn't pretty. Meh, I went through worse though. Far worse." Wow, he really knew how to sound all ominous and foreboding. He would probably have no trouble finding a job as a narrator for horror movies. Still, he didn't seem bothered by the impending side effects he'd experience in the not so distant future.

"Still… I am sorry." I muttered softly, unable to meet his gaze any longer. Shame once again spreading through my entire being, and it was all I could do not to run away.

"What for?" He asked and had the gall to actually sound confused.

"What for? _What for?_ For causing all of this in the first place, for not helping you when I could have." I shot back as I jerked my head up to look him in the eye, my earlier shame forgotten as anger flooded me for a brief moment.

"Oh, that." He said and nodded while I wanted to scream ' _Yes! Oh, that!_ ' At him. Instead of the reaction I expected, Samuel just shrugged before saying, "Don't mention it. It's not a big deal, Alex."

I'm pretty sure my left eye began to twitch at that. I had to count to ten and take a few calming breaths before I trusted myself to speak once again. "Not a big deal? I left you to die, I said all those things, how can you forgive me so easily?"

"Would you rather have me angry at you? No, because I was that way once. It seems life times ago now though." He mused quietly and leaned his head back. "I was obsessed with my vengeance, and while I was smart, I was also prepared to sacrifice pretty much everything to get it. I was pretty much the incarnation of all the dark thoughts a human being can have… but she…" He stopped himself then, and looked away, apparently having said something he wasn't prepared to at the time. "Doesn't matter. My point is, I know anger and grudges far better than most people. In fact, I'm more susceptible to them than most, but I learned to live with it. I'm no longer the man I once was, and I'm glad for it."

"But…" I began, he however wouldn't let me finish.

"No buts, Alex. Listen, if you want me to be angry with you so that you feel better because you think you deserve it, well then you got the wrong guy." He told me with another nonchalant shrug. "I'm no longer that man made of darkness. If you want to be poetic, you could say that I am now a being of twilight… hey that sounds pretty clever, put it in your next book."

"Could you please stop trying to switch the topic?" I asked, hoping to stay on the task at hand as I looked pleadingly at his face.

"Okay. I forgive you, we're friends. Anything else you wanna ask me?" Samuel asked with that same ease he'd been exuding not so long ago.

Well, he didn't switch the topic, he ended it all together by telling me the blunt truth even if I didn't want to accept it. "God you are such a man, you know that?"

"Yes, I've been aware of my condition for some time. The doctors say I was born this way. Roughly half of humanity suffers from the same condition." He shot back the moment I stopped speaking, his eyes dancing with mirth. "Seriously Alex. Don't beat yourself up over it. I understand, you were hardly in any condition to make a rational decision, so you can't apply the usual rules to it either."

I had to blink before shaking my head as a heavy sigh escaped me moments later. "How can you be so clever, and at the same time so freaking annoying?"

"It's part of my unique charm." He replied and leaned back utterly relaxed. "But don't worry. I'll return to driving you crazy momentarily." I couldn't help but laugh at that even as a couple of grateful tears ran down my face. Samuel only smiled at me, perfectly content since I was back, if scarred and battered from our recent ordeals. "You know what that means though, right?" He asked me, a mischievous glint in his eyes slowly spreading across his face.

"N-no?" I asked uncertainly, but I knew that I had just sprung the trap as his smile just got wider.

"Why? It means that me and Sarah can finally get down and dirty with one another. So I'm glad to have you back." Samuel quipped, and smiled widely while I just laughed and wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand. It really did feel pretty good to be back, needless to say.

"You're such a dork." I stated, to which Samuel only grinned in response.

"I know, and you love it." He shot back without missing a beat.

"Did I just hear someone saying that he wants to get down and dirty with little old me?" Sarah's voice suddenly asked from the doorway as she walked in, a wolfish smile on her face. "I had no idea that you felt that way dear Samuel."

"Oh you didnt?" He asked in mock surprise. "How terrible of me not to make my intentions clear."

"Yes, so very horrible." She agreed and looked him in the eye with a dark glint once she was by his chair. "Just to make one thing clear, as soon as you're better I am going to bang you like a screen door in a hurricane."

The only response was Samuel's own gaze darkening as they stared at each other. Ever been alone in a room with two people who were having uncensored eye sex with each other? No? Well let me tell you, it's pretty damn awkward. That emergency suicide shotgun I mentioned once before? I would have paid good money for it in that moment. Instead I could only look between them and sigh heavily with exasperation. "You do realize that Juliet might have something to say about you two doing that in her living room right?"

"Who said anything about the living room? We weren't about to give you a show… unless….Sarah are you into exhibitionism?" Samuel asked with what at the very least sounded like genuine curiosity. "If you want to, I could perhaps bring myself to perform for an audience."

"Aww, you are so sweet." What she and I viewed as sweet apparently greatly differed from one another. "But no, I'm not into that whole thing, sorry to say." _Thank God!_ I whooped in joy, within my mind of course but still. "With Velvet though….that's another story." Sarah mused, grinning none too subtly as she imagined getting hot and sweaty with the beautiful Toreador in the background. _Too much information._ I thought as I had to make it a solid effort not to throw up.

Samuel just chuckled and shook his head at the incorrigible Brujah. "I can't imagine why that might be, she is pretty sexy from the five seconds I saw her. And the fact she seemed cool with the idea of sharing you wasn't lost on me the other night."

"Guys… can't we talk about _anything_ else?" I asked, hoping that they'd take the hint. Oh, who was I kidding, there was no chance at all that _that_ would work.

"You have something important on your mind?" They both asked simultaneously. That was just creepy, that they were so in sync like that.

"Well, no not at the moment." I muttered and sunk into my chair a little further.

"In that case, no. We can't." Sarah told me before turning her gaze back to Samuel. "So, where were we?"

What was this? The Revelation of Embarrassment? No, there isn't an actual Revelation with that theme in mind, but in that moment, I'm pretty sure it would have been very successful as the two lovesick puppies continued their witty, innuendo heavy banter despite my growing discomfort. I just did my best to ignore them as much as possible, that and as much as it made me blush, metaphorically at least, I was still pretty happy that things were heading to the way they'd been before.

"Glad to see that some things just won't change." I chuckled, genuinely happy for both of them.

"Indeed." All three of us jumped when a dry, wry chuckle came from behind my chair. Spinning around, I was the first to see a man in a long brown trench coat standing over my chair, a small grin plastered on his pale face. The fact Sarah immediately relaxed said he was no threat as the strange man pulled off his rose tinted reading glasses and wiped them on the sleeve of his coat before putting them back on. "Sarah, I take it this is your interesting friend you were trying oh so hard not to tell me about when you were asking about the Followers of Set? And this must be your Society of Leopold reject, Samuel was it?"

"Good to see you too Beckett, and that's boyfriend, not reject, jackass." She replied, but the grin on her face and the way she nimbly climbed over the couch to crush the Gangrel in a tight, warm hug said they were old friends. Beckett only chuckled deep in his throat as they separated.

"Wait, how did you get in here? I thought I had secured this place?" Samuel asked more than a little bit worried and I could understand why, after all his mother's safety depended on it.

"Oh it is, but it seems that our dear Malkavian Primogen foresaw my coming and deactivated the rather sophisticated security measures, if only for a short time." He offered in explanation once Sarah had gone back to standing by Samuel's chair. Beckett meanwhile took his time in walking around the couch, an easy, almost animal like grace to his movements hard not to notice. He is a Gangrel though, and one of the older ones I've seen. That said, he's also one of the few that takes an avid interest and downright enjoyment in debunking the more outlandish theories and beliefs the Kindred at large hold to their little black hearts.

"Jules…" Samuel groaned exasperated and shook his head. "Is every mother so stressful in her own way?"

"From what I have seen and heard, I would say so." Beckett told him with a gracious nod, a small smile pulling at his lips. "But our mutual Malkavian friend is a rare exception to the general rule regarding the clan at large. She might be mad as a hatter, but she actually gets better, having you around. A mother's love seems capable in conquering even Caine's 'gift' to the Malkavian bloodline, to an extent of course."

"Yeah, it's just I'm always worried about her." Samuel told the man with a shrug. "You usually have enough problems and enemies as an ordinary Malkavian, as a Primogen the number of people who would love to see you dead rises exponentially."

"Perhaps, but you're fully aware of her unusually strong gifts. Only someone equally insane would dare go against our good friend." Beckett said and shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, from what I heard, she has no reason to be hunted by anyone, while you on the other hand have garnered quite the reputation, almost on par with the Brujah on your arm, or was that in your bed? I always get those two confused."

"Careful, you might make our friend uncomfortable with such remarks." Samuel said with an amused gleam in his eyes and nodded at me, and it was all I could do not to scream at him. Now he cared? He and Sarah had tormented me the whole time before and now this? That little smug… "And while I know that Juliet is formidable, I also know that everyone is easy to kill once you find their weak point." This time there was no trace of amusement on his face, only worry and sorrow at the thoughts that ran through his mind.

Beckett only nodded as he leaned against the arm of the couch. "Indeed, but there's no point in worrying about it now. Events are in motion as they once were before, just like the last time when Sarah was Embraced several years back. Of course, Jack leaving the Ankaran Sarcophagus full of C4 was a nice touch I'll admit, but we don't have such an easy way to take out this Charles fellow she told the LA group about while she was still in town."

"Which begs the question Beckett, why are you here?" Sarah asked, which quickly had Samuel and I glancing at the Gangrel in open curiosity.

He only smiled a little in response. "Because Nines asked me to, that and I was curious what could keep you here even after a blood hunt was called on you and Samuel both. You were uncharastically quiet about certain details during your visit to Velvet's and the old gang, so I decided to follow up on my own investigation. Now the picture is starting to become clear. And while I'm independent, thanks in large part to what happened to LaCroix, before he was introduced to the moon I might add, I can't help but be drawn to places where history is likely to be made."

"You could just say you care about me, Beckett." Sarah deadpanned in response.

"That would be giving away too much at once." He chuckled, but none of us were fooled by his cavalier attitude.

"Uh… dumb question but what do we do about this so called 'blood hunt'?" I asked meekly, and felt like a deer caught in the headlights when all three turned to look at me.

"Well, the original plan was still to go get Charles, get answers, dispose of Charles, new prince gets elected and hopefully this blood hunt will be over." Samuel said with a small shrug and grinned. "Sarah's plan was to kill every idiot that attacked us until they ran out of idiots to attack us with." Yep, that sounded like Sarah. It also sounded like a good way to get ourselves killed, but it was almost better than Samuel's idea in my less than humble opinion.

"There _is_ a third option." Beckett offered, and smirked as we looked at him. Unlike me, he seemed to thrive in the spotlight. "We go to another of the Primogens, someone we can trust, and convince them to challenge Charles for his position on the grounds of corruption, which sounds like is quite a possibility if some of the rumors I've overheard since coming to town are to be believed."

"Yeah, thing is, we need evidence. And a few less Setites to worry about." Sarah pointed out unhappily and lowly growled to herself. "Besides, we still need to have a little chat with the little prince."

"I'm unsurprised that you have yet another reason to hunt this man down." Beckett commented, his eyes shining with a smug and knowing gleam.

"Well… I had an idea but it's crazy." Samuel pointed out and sent a glance at Sarah. "Which of course means that you'll love it."

"I'm all for the crazy plans, whatcha got Sammy?" Sarah asked, making it readily apparent from the gleam in her own eyes that she was all for whatever it was he had in mind.

"Well, since we have this bothersome blood hunt on our heads… I figured why not use that to our advantage. We attract the hunters and lure them right into the Setites' temple. If all goes well, both parties will be too busy slaughtering each other to even think about us." I had to blink at that, since as far as plans went, it actually wasn't half bad. Samuel must have been reading my mind though because his next words pretty much echoed my own thoughts on the matter. "It's risky of course, especially since there are Setites in the Camarilla, I am certain of it. But why fight two enemies when we can use them against each other. Once both sides are weakened, we can act, whatever it is we decide to do."

"A bold plan." Beckett announced with raised eyebrows. "Although the reward if it works will undoubtedly be victory, both sides will take tremendous losses if you play it right."

"Indeed, it won't be easy." Samuel agreed before a dark smile crossed his face. "But we wouldn't be doing this if it were easy."

"I know this is going to sound….well, Setite ish," I began, and grimaced since what I needed to say would probably come out all wrong, "but after some of the things I saw, even if it was colored by my time with them, I'm not going to be broken up if most of those losses are Camarilla losses. If the Main Event is anything to go by, then-"

"Hey, I get it Alex." Samuel chimed in as I fumbled for the right words to get my point across. He wasn't the only one as Sarah only nodded, having seen her own share of things the Camarilla did that went against her own morality. "That's not saying all those in the Camarilla are bad people, but I get why you wouldn't be too upset over seeing a few dozen taken out of the picture. Besides, those that'll hunt us know the risks. We won't get chased by civilians."

"Nope, just morons hoping to make a name for themselves by taking out a big bad vampire hunter and his suped up Brujah girlfriend." Sarah chuckled humorlessly. "Trust me, I've been here before, I know how they think. Anyone that comes after us won't deserve mercy or remorse because they'll be Camarilla lap fucks."

"Eloquent as always I see." Beckett chuckled in turn, but he nodded his head in agreement, only confirming Sarah's less than stellar opinion of those that would come after her and Samuel.

"Or they want revenge on you or me. Hmm, probably pissed a lot of them off now that I think about it." The former hunter mused and cocked his head. "Hey, another thing we have in common!" Sarah grinned in response and nodded enthusiastically. Me? I'm still not sure how to feel about this whole 'we are really good at making enemies' thing we three have going. But whatever I thought about it, Samuel didn't give me time to mull it over as he slowly sat up in his chair while he gingerly rubbed at his still healing side. "For now we'll lay low, give things a chance to settle down. That and I figure you'd appreciate the chance to just relax anyway Alex."

Normally, I'd have said yes, except….I wasn't content to just sit on my ass anymore. I had been put through Hell, had relied on others far too much, even though in this case it wasn't such a bad thing, and had generally been useless. Granted, I hadn't been a Kindred long, and so any mistakes on my part could be forgiven, but that wasn't good enough for me anymore. "I can't do nothing. I… have to get myself ready. You said it yourself in that hospital, I still can't fight. I can barely take care of myself without getting into some kind of trouble."

"You were better than I would have expected." He gently corrected me as he gave me a kind smile. "You just went up against someone who trained to defeat beings far stronger and far more durable than himself. Besides, you're not helpless, you just got dealt a bad hand."

"Doesn't change what happened, or why Samuel." I replied, sinking back into my earlier morose induced funk before forcing it away with a grumble. "I can't begin to thank you or apologize enough for getting me away from Taweret, but I can't just sit back, not if I can do something about it."

"I understand." He told me, and I think he really did, before he sighed. "I'm afraid that I cannot help you with training at the moment, but Sarah most certainly can."

"I will?" Sarah asked, but Samuel just smirked up at the Brujah while Beckett just chuckled.

Samuel ignored the others, choosing to continue his line of thought instead. "I'll sit by the side and can give you a few pointers… damn I hate not being able to do things myself. Anyway, if you're a good trainer I'll most certainly… reward you."

"Training begins now." Sarah told me immediately, and with a serious look on her face, but I could see the smile tugging at her lips even as she tried to suppress it. Let me go up front and say that Sarah doesn't do anything halfway. She goes all in, no matter what that happens to entail, so naturally, I regretted asking almost immediately. At least with her though, I actually learned something, and she didn't just take perverse enjoyment out of beating me senseless like Antonio did. She still took _some_ enjoyment out of the following days of beating me black and blue, but she's Brujah, it comes with the territory.

Samuel sat at the side, carefully analyzing each of my moves. And like he promised he gave me some pointers from time to time. "Don't fight strength with strength. It's inefficient and sure as hell won't work against Sarah. You are more mobile, use that to your advantage." I was in no position to argue as Sarah casually walked me around with my head locked firmly in the crook of her right arm, which left me to uselessly flail my own arms around in an attempt to break free. Samuel sighed and did his best to bite his tongue at the rather….embarrassing image before him. Having since taken over Juliet's gym, that was located on the east side of her small manor, we had all the room we'd ever want to throw each other around, although as I said, I was too busy being dragged around by my neck as Sarah happily hummed a merry tune the whole time.

"Let me go!" I managed to get out before she pressed down on my throat again, a mischievous smile on her face.

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that." She asked me mockingly, and moved her head closer to me. "Could you please say that again?"

"G-go." I managed to squeeze out through the pressure. While I didn't need air to breathe, I still needed it to talk, so it was with great effort that I got the next two words out, but get them out I did. "fuck… yourself."

"Nah, thanks for the offer but I already know who to fuck, and it's certainly not myself." She shot back with a blinding smile, sending a heated glance Samuel's way, and cue eye sex while I was forced to watch them stare at each other in open lust.

Which was my cue to turn the tables as I hit the Celerity switch in my head. Sarah, for all her strengths, was too easily distracted with Samuel in the same room, and as I had said already, Sarah actually did her assigned job and did it well. So somehow, I was able to pull away from her grasp around my neck, swept her feet out from under her, and went for the punch to her face long before she started to fall to the mat beneath us. She had since done the same and activated her own Celerity, but it was too little too late as she attempted to block my strike, but she needn't have bothered because when time resumed its normal pace for us both, I was still the one that came out short handed because it turned out, punching her was like hitting a brick wall. Oh she still had a nice bruise on her left cheek, but she only grinned up at me as I nursed my hand, groaning as pain radiated up my arm. "The fuck...are you made of?" I gasped, feeling 'winded' as I straddled Sarah's waist, the Brujah just grinning up at me despite how vulnerable she'd be if I was a halfway decent opponent.

"Snips and snails and puppy dog tails." Sarah deadpanned as she turned her head to look up at me.

"You weren't supposed to answer that" I bit out, still cradling my hand.

"Well too bad for you. What are you gonna do? Hit me again? Go on, perhaps I'll feel it this time."

"You suck."

"Yeah, on occasion. Comes with the territory." She shot back without pause and grinned up at me. "But so do you. Next time, don't stick your thumb in your fist when you hit someone, good way to break something. Surprised you didn't do that just now honestly." Despite the fact she had still come out on top even though I was sitting on her lap, Sarah looked up at me with approval. "Still kid, not a lot of people has gotten the upper hand on me, although I did kinda leave myself open there for a second or two."

"Thanks, I guess." I said and stood up offering her my not hurting hand. She may be annoying as hell and constantly kicked my ass, but at the end of the day, she was still my friend.

"Not bad." Samuel said from the side, the human leaning against the wall. He actually looked rather pale, and we all knew why. Slowly but surely the withdrawal symptoms had started to appear. While his injuries had all but healed by now, that wasn't why he wasn't actively participating in getting me into shape. To use his own words, he didn't trust himself around us. "But you don't have to hit her in the face, there are plenty of others spots to attack."

"Oh, what spots would you like to attack?" Sarah asked him with a waggle of her eyebrows. His eyes flew across her shapely body, making it clear that he had a few 'spots' in mind.

"Focus." I whined, and clenched my eyes shut while trying to erase that all too vivid image from my memory.

"Sorry." He quickly mumbled and shook his head to clear his mind. "Thing is, you're nowhere near as strong as her. Or probably a lot of enemies we'll face in the near future, so you have to fight smart. To quote something I learned a long time ago, 'knowing where to strike to cause the greatest amount of damage with a minimum of force is the key to victory.' Go after soft tissue, like the throat for example. You might not need to breathe, but there are lots of blood vessels in there, damage them and you've got a far better chance than before. That and your typical decapitation works wonders for most supernatural creatures."

"Thanks Spock, any other good advice?" I asked, although despite the grim and bloody tips he was throwing my way, I was just happy things seemed to be looking up at all. Sure, we still had a blood hunt out on him and Sarah to deal with, and a corrupt prince to worry about, but I was fast recovering from my earlier….issues, and overall, things were slowly improving. The only immediate problem facing us at the moment was Samuel going through Kindred blood withdrawal, but even that wasn't insurmountable.

He must have seen my concerned look because he sent me a small smile. "Don't worry about me, Alex. I'll be fine. Not the first time I've gone through this. In the end this pain is only temporary, like so many bad things in life."

Yeah, he sat there going through withdrawal yet he still tried to cheer me up, and he managed to send some wisdom my way while he was at it. Well, at least I could be certain that he hadn't been replaced by a clone. Still, it hurt to see him suffering at all, especially after everything he did for me during that time. But just as soon as I started to open my mouth to say something, Sarah none too softly jabbed me in the face. "Hey, eyes on me there bright eyes." I raised an eyebrow at that, but decided to say nothing as Sarah put her fists up before her face, a cocky, self assured grin all too visible. Besides, as annoyed as I might have been with the cheap shot to my face, her new nickname for me was certainly a step up from the derisive 'snake eyes' she had branded me as until I had gotten my head on straight.

I knew she was trying to distract me, and it was working to a certain degree, but we both kept stealing glances at Samuel. He watched us perceptive as ever, but we both could see the thin sheet of sweat forming on his face, and despite his best efforts he couldn't suppress the shudder that wrecked his frame. "Soon…" He gasped out and gripped the bench he was sitting on tightly. "You'll have to restrain me."

 _Restrain him? But…_ I thought disbelievingly and shook my head in denial. "What are you saying?" I asked, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"I am asking you to bind me, so that I may not escape my confines. Just as Odysseus asked his companions to do the same when he wished to hear the siren song." He elaborated heavily, still clutching the bench, though as he talked, he was able to slowly let go of it. "It's better this way, you don't want to see the alternative… trust me." It's not uncommon for a blood starved human to go full on vampire on their Kindred masters in an attempt to satisfy their craving if they can, but the only time that works out is if they've been left unguarded and unattended. The smart Kindred makes it a point to keep themselves isolated from their ghouls on the off chance such a scenario is liable to occur. But yes, the alternative would indeed be very unpleasant for everyone involved.

He asked me to trust him, how could I argue against that? I trusted him completely, he had given so much for me, so it was only fair for me to give him something in return. I just wished that I could do something better than tie him down and watch while he suffered. And that was what he was asking me to do, and to make it worse, I knew he was right even if I hadn't quite realized just how bad it was going to get for him. He wasn't prepared to become a ghoul, at least not at the moment. And we couldn't give him another dose of blood, not that that would have solved the problem in the long run. Instead, me and Sarah shared a glance before I looked away first, unable to meet either of their gazes since I was painfully reminded that this was my fault.

I was once more punched in the face by Sarah, who was quick to grab me by my shoulders once I had turned to face her. "Don't go thinking like that again Alex. He was hurt _before_ you walked out that door." She was quick to remind me. Despite her words, the Brujah felt worse than I did I realized, having gleamed more than should have been possible with my Auspex although I hadn't actually tried to see anything more. But as to the reason, she held herself responsible for what Samuel was having to contend with, again, since it was her blood that was running through his system in the first place.

"Hey now, don't be so grim." Samuel said from the side with a strained smile tugging at his lips. "Right now, I'm not yet in that state. And as for the offer… I'll think about it. Just a fair warning though, I have no intention of living forever." While the offer hadn't been made, it must have been obvious on our faces as we looked to him simultaneously. He only shrugged in response as he relaxed completely, but it wouldn't last we both knew.

Another pain that sat deep in my heart, I would live forever unless killed, yet Samuel would not. He could, if he were willing to be Embraced, or to become a permanent ghoul, but he had no intention of doing either. And that hurt me, the knowledge that one day he would be gone. For now though, I had to content myself with the knowledge he wasn't going anywhere for some time, if everything went according to plan and he was able to live a long if not happy life, but since when had anything went according to plan?

"Fair enough." Sarah replied, a small smile on her face even though it was obvious to me and Samuel that it was forced. "Just promise us not to die anytime soon."

"Heh, no promises. Life isn't like that and you know it. Although…" He trailed off for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. "If I don't die anytime soon, then perhaps I'll find a way to still keep an eye on this world once I left… I've heard about a few projects in that regard. Don't want to abandon you after all."

I still sometimes wonder what exactly happened to him to cause such loyalty in him. For Samuel to start looking for a way to stand by our sides beyond death. I can only figure that it must have been traumatizing, like so many things he had endured in his life. If there _was_ a god, I most certainly hated him, her, or it, whatever. Samuel suffered so much in his life, and got so little in return, it wasn't fair. Yet he was able to smile and laugh despite everything. I don't know even now how he was so strong, yet he is.

"I am curious though… do you want to live forever?" He asked slowly clearly fighting against another shudder as he slowly closed his eyes, undoubtedly to combat any feelings of vertigo.

Sarah slowly lowered her hands, seriously thinking about the question and shot a quick uncertain glance at me. "I… I don't know. I never really thought about it. I was always on the move… I mean it isn't bad to know that you won't run out of time in that regard but… It's not all sunshine either." She admitted, surprising us both a little I think by her words.

I stood there shocked by the familiar question. Eliza had asked me that once, and I had admitted that it wasn't an easy question to answer, but now I was immortal for all intents and purposes. The question was… did I want to walk this earth until its final days? I didn't have an answer then and I don't have one now, not one that's consistent at least. Somedays I can say it's not so bad, living forever, but other times? Those times aren't so good to ask such questions since I'm usually in a Toreador downward spiral. "Why don't you?" I instead asked back and cocked my head. "Juliet would undoubtedly Embrace you if you asked."

"She would." He agreed with a nod, and leaned back against the wall. "Thing is, for one thing I'm afraid that no matter who Embraces me that I'll no longer be well… me. That I'll lose something I would rather not… and while I don't seek death I'm not afraid of it. To be honest, a part of me looks forward to it. I long to meet some people again, all who are dear to my heart."

My heart bled for him in that moment and it still does. On the one hand, he didn't wish to abandon us, yet on the other he wanted to see his loved once again in the great beyond, or as Juliet called it, the infinite. And no matter what he did, he likely felt as if he'd let one of us down. So I did the only thing I could think of, I walked up to him and embraced him tightly. "You honorable, noble idiot. Think less about us, and more about yourself!"

"Then I wouldn't be who I am. Isn't that one of the reasons you love me?" He asked, although he already knew the answer as he wrapped his arms around my waist and let a soft, if pained, chuckle escaped him. I couldn't tell if it was because of the lingering pain he was still in from his injuries, or if it was the start of what would be a rough couple of weeks as the last of the Kindred blood left him. Either way, I could only half laugh, half cry at his words as we pulled apart. "It's going to be alright Alex. Just uh….you'll have to forgive anything I might say or do once the worst of this whole thing starts. Just ask Juliet, crazy me was not fun to be around. I'm almost dreading what I'll be like jacked up on Brujah blood."

"Thanks jackass. I feel bad enough as it is." Sarah grumbled, but was able to smile anyway as she joined us by the bench. "As for anything you might say or do while you're spouting off warrior poems and just snarling angrily at us, I'll buy earplugs." What most people outside the Brujah clan tend to forget is that the original Brujahs were warrior poets, rather than outright rebels and soldiers. Hence why Sarah had made the quip about warrior poems, it was relevant.

"Well… considering that this whole thing will amplify my desires… I was more worried about me jumping your bones in front of her." Samuel told her bluntly, and sent me an apologetic glance.

Sarah only grinned and shrugged, making it clear she wasn't about to complain one way or the other. "I already said I planned to bang you like a screen door in a hurricane, so I'm not about to say no. She can find another room to be in easily enough if it bothers her."

"Yeah… you remember that that could also happen in front of my mother?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow. "That could get awkward very fast, besides I would like this to be more than a… withdrawal induced orgy thing."

"Good point." Sarah agreed and nodded exaggeratedly. "So we'll tie you down and as soon as it's over, I'll throw you down and ride you into unconsciousness."

Samuel's answering smirk was wide enough to encompass his whole face. "Sounds like a plan."

The emergency suicide shotgun, hereby shortened to ESS, returned to the forefront of my mind with a vengeance. This time there was no Beckett around to save me, I was doomed. It could be worse I suppose, so I just decided to soldier on and enjoy the time Samuel wasn't tied to something and in some kind of mad frenzy. As for the Gangrel, he was out running personal errands, and while he was not affiliated with the Camarilla, he was able to come and go as he pleased, especially since he was quite knowledgeable regarding Kindred history, free of the bias most historians are known for. True, he made it his business in debunking some of the more outlandish things most of us take as truth, but no one had any reason to hunt him down either. So while he was out and about, he was also able to gather information regarding our current situation and the enemies at large.

So far he hadn't heard anything new from the Camarilla aside from the official story that both Sarah and Samuel were terrorists. The latter was hunted with even more fervor than the former due to his failed 'attempt' to kill Juliet. And even though it was nothing more than a fluke, he felt horrible about it, and no matter how many times Juliet told him not to worry about it, he continued to worry.

That said, there were whispers in the city of something going on. Nothing concrete, but there was someone or something working in the shadows. Just yesterday, a Setite hideout had been discovered, no survivors. Whoever had attacked them had hit hard and fast, and apparently did so without losing a single member of their team or getting wounded for that matter. No other blood but of those killed had been found. Trust me, we vampires are quite good at figuring out whose blood is whose. The only thing even more unsettling? They did so without leaving a trace, even the infamous Nosferatu hadn't been able to find anything, which reminded me, I really had to apologize to Tim for my behaviour. He likely already knew by then that I was back to my old self, but I still made it a mental note to stop by the Diner haven and try and make amends in person.

In any event, we finished that night's round of my getting my face kicked in shortly after, and after I had had a chance to clean up, I found Samuel and Sarah sitting on the couch in Juliet's living room. I took one look at the way they were staring into the other's eyes and turned right on my heel. This would likely be the last time they'd be able to talk before the call of the blood would become too much for him to handle on his own, so I didn't want to interrupt them. Instead I found Beckett in the dining room, with a book laid out in front of him and a glass of blood in hand. He was just about to sit down, notepad in his free hand, when he looked up and gave me a smile in greeting. "Ah Alex, I see you were chased out by our lovesick friends as well." He said, and sat down before folding his hands underneath his chin, his wine glass within easy reach on his right side.

"Yeah… I guess you could say that. Didn't want to ruin the moment before… you know."

"Indeed, although I have to admit I am impressed. I've never met a human who resisted the call of the blood for so long without any outside help, of course I haven't had the chance to talk to many hunters either. They are rarely in the mood for a conversation with our kind." He paused for a moment, before he corrected himself just as quickly. "Wait, I seem to recall a rather fascinating conversation I had with two hunters that made the mistake of coming after me. They didn't wish to answer my inquiries as to the location of a friend of mine, who was, at the time, studying the Ankaran Sarcophagus, so I dangled them both from the side of a building. They were much more agreeable then, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"Really? I would have thought that they would have declared their unending hatred for our kind and called their god down to smite us." I told him curiously, that's how I always pictured the other hunters after Samuel's description, or at least most of them. Then I remembered that there were just as many branches as there were clans, if not more so, which Beckett was happy to remind me.

Coming to the realization that he wasn't going to be able to enjoy his book, although the presence of his notepad suggested he'd been doing research for something, Beckett simply shut the heavy, leather bound volume before shrugging off my apologetic glance before he addressed me anew. "Well, it appears that they are just as divided as we are with the various clans and organizations, so I suppose that not all of them are as fanatic as the ones Sarah has encountered in the past. In fact, some are much more agreeable to the presence of the Kindred, and are even willing to work alongside our more law abiding members, so long as we remain civil in turn of course. I've even heard rumors of hunters working alongside the FBI, the CIA, and other, less known government agencies around the world, dealing with threats that would otherwise damage the peace we have with the mortals of our shared world. Granted, most of those same agencies' members aren't aware of their true purpose, but those that are don't ask too many questions. Plausible deniability."

"Heh, what is this? Stargate?" I asked as I sat down across from the Gangrel. Despite my question, I was quite intrigued by everything Beckett was telling me.

"Hardly, I for one would love to explore other planets. All those new things to discover. I wonder if another sun would burn us the same way the sun here does? After all, we seem to suffer no ill effects from what little starlight we are exposed to. Or the sun's light that is reflected by the moon. I'm curious if it's merely a matter of distance, or something more? I would love to test that." Beckett mused, which had me wondering even then if he wasn't onto something.

"Really?" I asked skeptically, finding the idea of holding a limb into the sunlight to see if it would burn anything but curious.

"With the proper preparations, of course." He amended with a small smirk. "You can't tell me that you never wondered about that?"

"I've had….a bit more important things to worry about." I hesitantly replied, which thankfully earned me an understanding nod from the Gangrel. Still, I remember stroking the bottom of my chin as the idea took root and had me mulling over what the man had said.

He just smirked and nodded again, seeing the gears in my head turning as they were. "I am glad to note you're much more open to such radical ideas than most of my peers. If I had said that in a Camarilla gathering, I might have at the very least been laughed at for such a notion. For being what we are, some would say an affront to nature itself, we tend to stagnate quite easily. Ah, the curse of immortality."

"I find it hard to believe that so many would simply disregard your ideas. I mean you give good reasons for them and you are renown in your field from what I've heard, shouldn't that be enough for them to at least listen to you?" I pointed out, not really seeing any point in them ignoring his advice and ideas.

"Quite frankly, I didn't get into my field of study for anyone's approval." Beckett was quick to point out before he leaned back in his chair, his arms folded over his chest as he looked to the ceiling for a moment. "Too often those such as myself, or scientists in general really, prefer to be in the spotlight for their chance at fifteen minutes of fame for one reason or another. I however, devote my energies to finding the truth, regardless of its implications. And while yes, it does tend to get boring, being unable to hold a reasonable, intelligent conversation at times, I then come across someone like you who isn't mired in age old traditions and has been allowed to get set in their ways to the point anything new is just wrong to even consider, let alone discuss. Believe me, I've come across my share. No my dear Alex, it's not so hard to believe once you've lived a couple centuries, but life is so full of possibilities for forward thinking individuals like ourselves."

I blinked at that a couple of times. He seemed content with his life, the only thing truly bothering him was the stagnant way most of Kindred society was and of course that he had so few reasonably intelligent conversation partners. He traveled alone, but he made a lot of friends and most certainly didn't seem like he suffered from loneliness. Something I simply had to admire, for me it has always been easier to worry about everything instead of enjoying the moment. Perhaps I could learn something from Beckett in that regard.

Of course these thoughts couldn't last for long as Samuel and Sarah suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt your conversation but… I'll have to say goodbye for now." Samuel said uncomfortably and shuddered lightly. "But it's time. Sarah's going to tie me up any moment now. Thought you would like to know."

"Normally I'd make a joke of such a potentially loaded comment, but in this case, I'll refrain and simply wish you good luck." Beckett replied, his earlier cheer gone as he and I stood from the table. "What you're doing is quite admirable, because so many others would have simply given in by now. For that you have my utmost respect, even if you were a former hunter and all."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Samuel chuckled weakly, looking grayer than ever as he tried not to appear he was leaning on Sarah for support. "Just do me a favour, all of you… take care of Jules. She's going to worry about me without pause. Make sure she also looks after herself."

"We will." Sarah stated firmly, while Beckett only nodded silently.

I couldn't say a word as tears welled up in my eyes, but Samuel only smiled before he beckoned Sarah to start away before it got any harder for him or me to try and say something that might help in this situation. Despite the fact we had only known each other a few days, Beckett put a hand on the middle of my back as they hobbled away, his presence alone helping more than a little as we watched, both of us lost to our thoughts. "That man is unlike most I've ever seen." He said once they had rounded a corner and were out of sight. "And it just proves what I've said not so long ago, life is so full of possibilities. It's almost enough for me to believe in miracles. Almost."

"You shouldn't have said almost… that kinda killed the magic of the moment." I told him jokingly, or as jokingly as I could with me wringing my hands nervously, face scrunched up in worry. I think at that moment I was just babbling to distract myself.

Beckett took it in stride though, patiently enduring my latest emotional derailment without complaint even if it wasn't quite that bad as it'd been before. "I tend to suck the magic out of any room I enter, or so my more well meaning detractors are so fond of saying. And while I'm able to admit there are just some things that can't be explained, that doesn't mean I won't try my best to do just that." His words got a much needed, amused snort out of me as I dried my eyes and nodded my thanks for his efforts. He only smiled and patted me on my shoulder before he sat down in front of his book and his glass. "Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"

I gave him a small smile in return, knowing that he wanted to distract me. But I couldn't help it, no matter how much I talked with him, in the end my thoughts always returned to Samuel, my imagination happily conjuring up images of him suffering. But he had asked me to trust him. So I would, and if it were the last thing I did. Besides, taking care of Juliet, even with help from Beckett and Sarah, was its own trial as I'd find out quickly in the days to come.

Let it never be said that a Primogen is boring, despite their age.

 **End Notes:** _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Well, that happened. Beckett's still a badass, even though he hasn't done much of anything, and we might have inadvertently hinted at a possible crossover for the future oddly enough while we were at it. And we've managed to put Samuel through something else while we were at it. Needless to say, I feel like an ass, I can't speak for Nomad, but that's my feelings on the matter regarding this whole Kindred blood cold turkey thing we've got going._

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Well, I can assure you that I don't enjoy tormenting Samuel either. Although I have to admit that my mind is coming up with, and discarding, a lot of possible things that could happen to him in the future. Safe to say that a lot of things are going to change before this is over. But I have to agree with Vergil, Beckett is awesome. He is just that guy that shows up, makes a few clever remarks, and disappears again. Like some sort of chatty Batman, without the beating up criminals part. And the money… the butler… the batmobile… meh, you know what I mean. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time! See you._

 _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Basically he's the poor man's Batman is what you're saying. Jokes aside, we also laid a few more threads even as we cut a few old ones. Velvet's back in LA, although we might have them visit the city in the far flung future, and we've hinted at something else attacking the Setites outside of the Camarilla and the Anarchs that have already made their lives difficult. Who's this third party? You'll find out soon enough. At any rate folks, see ya and leave those wonderful reviews we love so much. Adios!_


	18. Unexpected Visitors

**Chapter 18: Unexpected Visitors**

After Sarah had restrained Samuel, things were… difficult. It was obvious that he was in pain, as the screams he couldn't suppress told you more than clearly enough. On the other hand, he wasn't exactly of a sound mind while going through the more extreme effects of withdrawal. More than once he screamed for Juliet, begging her forgiveness for the fake hit. And no matter how many times she forgave him, he continued to torment himself. More than once he also screamed for me, asking me to forgive him for not protecting me from the Setites. At that point there was nothing to forgive him for, if there'd ever been something to hold him responsible for in the first place. No, I didn't blame him for anything, not at all. Seeing him like that though, it was hard being in Juliet's house as you can imagine, even if I wasn't Toreador, I doubt it'd have been any easier.

He also screamed for someone called Aliccia. I had no idea who she was at the time, or what her relation she had to him. Only that he asked her again and again not to hate him for what he had done, to forgive him for his shortcomings. Whoever she was or had been, she was obviously very important to him. As I sat by his bedside on a quiet night, blessedly quiet since it meant he was asleep, at least for a while, I remembered his comment about how everyone was easy to kill once you knew their weak point, and I think this Aliccia was his. I wouldn't be wrong, but that's for a little later as I held his hand as he slept the night away, having already screamed himself hoarse by that point before passing out. It sucked, and not in a good way, to be there as the fight just slowly bled out of him as the remnants of Sarah's blood left his system.

"Asleep, but for how long?" Sarah asked as she stood against the wall, her red eyes downcast and her posture all but saying she was right there with me in hating what was happening to Samuel. "I can't do this twice. Heather was bad enough….and...it doesn't matter, Samuel's not Heather. He's far more important for one."

I really wanted to ask her who this Heather was, but this was not the time. We had more pressing matters on our minds. "I never had to live through something like this before… but I hate myself. I should have done something to prevent this." I sniffled and looked at Samuel as red tears began blurring my sight. "And to make matters worse… I feel selfish for wanting him around me for as long as possible even when he wishes to see his loved ones again."

"Me too, but it's his choice." Sarah said lowly and crossed her arms. "If he wants to stick around longer for our sake, I won't stop him, I just wish I could do more than sit here and listen to his screams." She grumbled, but there was none of her typical Brujah anger behind it. She was just as beaten down by the situation as I felt, but she didn't allow herself to tear up.

"Any news from Beckett?" I chose to ask, both to distract her, as well as myself, but also because we promised we would take care of Juliet, which Beckett had done the night before. Now it was our turn, and last I had seen, the Malkavian was sitting in her drawing room, staring blankly at a blank canvas. I wasn't sure what was happening, but I thought it a good idea not to bother her.

"Not much, our phantoms struck again though. Sabbat stronghold, wiped out. No survivors. Looks like they interrogated someone this time though before… you know." She told me with a worried frown. There weren't many who could wipe out as many Sabbat so effortlessly and even less who could do it without even the slightest injury. Those attacks were causing a lot of worry in the Camarilla and the Anarchs, but so far the mysterious troops had avoided both for some reason. Probably because there were far easier targets to hit, but it was a recurring thought that it wouldn't take long before they got tired of target practice. Although no one could say for sure, after all, without any known motive this could very well be a quest for vengeance on the two factions who had more than enough enemies. Whatever was going on, everyone was walking on eggshells. Either way, Sarah let her hands drop to her sides before she pushed away from the wall to sit next to me on the bed. "Whatever's going on, I think the blood hunt on me and Samuel might be put on hold if these attacks keep occurring, especially since I'm not exactly subtle, making it apparent I'm not the one behind them."

"Not obviously at least." I mused, and looked up as Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Come on, I know I haven't been around long, but these guys don't seem like the forgiving sort. As soon as things quiet down, they'll be back on you and him like flies on shit." My southern accent came back, but I hardly noticed as I hoped my words would sink in.

They did, but Sarah had an answer for my well meaning paranoia, which was grounded in reality in this case. "Well, Sammy said you wanted to write a book. If you keep throwing phrases like that in there, then I will most definitely enjoy it." She chuckled, if only for a moment before her worried glance returned to Samuel. "And I was trying to be optimistic, but thanks for being the realist, asshole." Despite her grumbled response, she sighed and looked away from me and Samuel both. "I've been through this shit once before, but I almost wish I was still on the run as I was the last time rather than sitting on my hands like this. This waiting is going to drive me Malkavian."

"Well, the optimist says that the pessimist is a realist." I replied to her earlier remark with a weak grin before sombering up. "I know what you mean, but I'm not only worried about him, but also for Juliet. She can't stay here for long, otherwise someone will come knocking. And the way she is now… well I don't want her to drive some moron crazy just because he talked to her too loud." Sarah snorted but nodded in agreement, and was about to say something in response, when we felt eyes on us from the doorway. We paled, as much as we were able to, when we saw Juliet standing in the doorway.

She only smiled though and nodded her head, her brown eyes unusually focused as they flicked between my face and Sarah's before settling on Samuel before going back around the room. "Juliet appreciates your concern, little bird, red eyes. Perhaps….perhaps some fresh air this night will do us all some good, yes? Wolfy Gangrel will watch the little boy. He promised."

"He come back? I didn't hear anything." Sarah mused, only for Beckett to stick his head around the corner. "Figures."

"Don't give me that look my Brujah friend. You know how we Gangrels like to sneak up on people." He chuckled warmly while Sarah rolled her eyes in response.

"Don't remind me, you about made me shit a brick when I was in the Museum, trying to lock down that damned coffin." She retorted even as a smirk started to pull at her lips. "You're lucky I liked you in those days wolf boy."

"Ah, the arrogance of the young." He said with a smug smile and walked by Sarah, going as far as to pat her head. "Just continue to believe that you could have beaten me little fledgling." Despite the exuberant string of curses the gesture got out of Sarah, the Brujah's amused smirk told another story as she pushed Beckett away before starting past Juliet. The Malkavian giggled into her hand at the scene, already looking better than she had moments ago, or when I had seen her staring at her canvas. When I made no move to leave however, Beckett none too subtly grasped me by my shoulder and frogmarched me out of the room after pulling me to my feet. "Go, you only live once after all….or is that twice in our case? Huh." He mused, his voice trailing off as he paused and pondered the question that had even me stopping for a moment to consider it.

That was… actually not a dumb question when you think about it. Still I'm not going to run around screaming, YOLT or anything. In case you're wondering what that stands for, 'You Only Live Twice', and screaming that as an ordinary human is probably rather weird I admit. As a Kindred though? Completely acceptable. Moving on, point is, he had given me something to think about even as Beckett shoved me out the door with Juliet hot on our heels, giggling softly as the Gangrel made sure I wouldn't be able to turn around and get past him. "Alright alright alright, I'm going! Sheesh!" I grumbled, but secretly, I was grateful for what Beckett was doing. I wasn't about to tell him that as I got out of his grasp and started down the stairs under my own power. "The least you could have did was let me get something to wear, jerk." I said once I had reached the bottom of the stairwell.

"Won't get cold, little bird. You have feathers." Juliet told me which truth be told did more to confuse me than anything else. Sure, I knew that as a vampire I couldn't catch a cold or anything like that. Or that I would get cold… in my case my body temperature would just get colder, but aside from that, nothing. Still, it would probably cause a few odd looks if I chose to walk around with too little to wear.

Sarah had grabbed her trademark black coat and its armored underlayer, which made her look like someone who had just straight out of a Matrix movie. That was probably the point though as she pulled out a pair of black sunglasses that fit her face perfectly. "What? Red eyes remember? Not exactly a normal color." She said when she noted my glancing in her direction. I only raised an eyebrow a little more when she pulled out the black leather gloves she had used the first night we'd met against the Sabbat morons. "Fine, I like the look, alright?" She admitted when I just chuckled softly.

"Was that so hard to admit?" I asked, unable to help but smirk at the annoyed glare she was throwing my way.

"Yes." Juliet answered for her. Making both of us jump in surprise. "You wanna stay and talk or go outside? Juliet would rather go outside… I will watch the stars for Sammy as well, and when he is better, we can do it together." I remembered him promising her that he would visit her again and watch the stars with her in the park. I briefly wondered if he had a chance to keep that promise since my disappearance. To this day, I got no idea if Juliet was telepathic or not, or if any Malkavian is for that matter, only that when the thought crossed my mind, the Malkavian just smiled and nodded, as if silently answering my unspoken question. "He did….before he tried to fake kill me. Silly Sammy, always so thoughtful."

"I can't believe that he actually could bring himself to do so." I admitted out loud, so that Sarah wouldn't get confused.

"He couldn't." Juliet said with a sad smile. "He knew he had to, but his love prevented him from hurting me. I made him do it. Still, the little boy wanted to help me. Left with tears in his eyes and endless sorrow in his heart." Which explained why he'd been screaming himself hoarse as he begged Juliet to forgive him, even if she'd been the one to do...whatever they'd done to make it look real. Juliet once more proved she was far more 'with it' than a normal person should have been when she tapped at her chest, just to the right of her heart before she drew her fingernail down the front of her shirt. We got the point pretty well. "Sammy… the little boy refuses to accept that there is nothing to forgive. His open heart has brought him much pain, and so little joy."

I knew that was true, after what little I heard about his life, it could have been a cruel way to torment someone, only that it wasn't planned, it was just the things he had lived through. And yet, despite all that, he had grown up to be a good man. Striving to do the right thing, instead of becoming bitter and hateful. Too many people would have become resentful, cynical, jaded, yet Samuel had avoided all of that, somehow.

Juliet lead the way, in her… unique way. She didn't so much walk as she danced across the pavement, to a melody only she could hear. Still, she lacked her usual cheer for obvious reasons, but despite that she somehow managed not to sink into depression or drive everyone in a one block radius mad, so I wasn't about to say anything one way or the other. As for me, despite the fact we had been all but chased out of the house, or I'd been chased out by Beckett anyway, I had been given a chance to change into something more 'outdoorsy' appropriate. Celerity had made it easy to slip into another outfit in record time.

Where we were going I couldn't say, only that Juliet seemed to know where she was going. Or perhaps she was just really determined to dance in that direction. Given that she was a Malkavian you could never know for sure even though I had to admit that they always have something in… mind, or minds given what they are. As I've said once before at least, you can't insult one Malkavian without pissing off twenty other ones at the same time since they're all somehow connected to each other through their insanity or insight or whatever, I'm not Malk so I couldn't tell you for sure how it all works, and I'm _not_ about to ask. I prefer my sanity, like my chances, exactly as they are, in my own hands without tempting fate more than I do on a regular basis.

Leaving Juliet's horror movie set of a house, even if the house itself wasn't at all creepy other than it was so utterly mundane, it didn't take us long to reach our destination. It seemed Primogens liked to be within easy reach of each other, because we walked about half a city block worth in distance before we found ourselves in front of an….empty lot. Except Juliet only smiled as she put her hand against an invisible wall, and pulled open a door, shattering the illusion placed upon the building before us. When I darted my blue eyes up and down the street, half expecting someone to notice the sudden appearance of a three story gothic chapel of some sort, I wasn't all that surprised when the few people out at this time of night hardly batted an eyelash at us. "Obfuscate can be applied to more than people, little bird." Juliet offered in explanation before disappearing inside, with myself and Sarah sharing an uneasy glance before we followed our Malkavian guide.

If it wasn't obvious already, we found ourselves inside a Tremere Chantry, a safe haven for the local chapter of blood mages ran by their leader, the Tremere Primogen. Well, I guess safe as long as no Juliet or Sarah walked in, those two should get their own danger category, well Samuel too but he was… indisposed, which I tried not to think about. As for the building itself, the gothic, dark stoned building, the gargoyles I had seen on the outside of the building, and the rows of stone spikes that ran the length of certain sections of the exterior were all too present on the inside as well. Except I noticed something odd just about the same time Sarah took one look at one of the bigger gargoyles in the main entryway. "Fuck me sideways." She hissed, and I about bolted when it….moved.

Tremere are masters of blood magic, of manipulating the very thing that gives us life, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that they've found a way to create living guardians made of assorted materials, which is more times than not, stone. Juliet though looked at the lumbering giant behemoth that looked like a cross between a Japanese terra cotta clay sculpture and an orc from World of Warcraft, in the same way people may look at a pigeon in the park. "Tell your master that Juliet has come to talk. Hush, hush."

"Very well," The thing growled, its voice sounding like two giant boulders falling down a mountainside, "I will tell him you have come, Mistress Juliet, of clan Malkavian." With that, the stone monstrosity ambled away on legs as thick as tree trunks, and it was only then as it turned its massive, armored sculpted back that I saw the massive bastard sword on its back. Fuck me sideways indeed. I know that it was an unreasonable wish, and one just as dangerous for me as for whoever I wanted to kill, but I really wanted a grenade launcher in that moment. Not that it'd done me any good I'd find out later, because gargoyles only respond to blunt force damage. Anything else just pisses them off and you end up a bloody smear on the pavement. So if you know a gargoyle's lurking around, bring your sledgehammers, or better yet, just run, far away.

It was all I could do just to stand there as the gargoyle showed a surprising amount of dexterity as it gingerly pushed the double doors of a nearby hallway out of its way before proceeding down the grandly appointed passage in question. Once it had stomped off, I took only a little satisfaction when I saw Sarah looked just as tense as I felt. "The last gargoyle I ran into wanted to rip my head off until I convinced it to work for Isaac. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see one still beholden to its Tremere master." She said, although I'm not sure who she was talking to as a shudder went through her. "And I thought Strauss was a creep. He's a good guy, don't get me wrong, but Stoneface made it pretty clear he didn't like Strauss one bit, or Tremeres in general. Not that I can blame him in hindsight, Stoneface said that Strauss had made him what he was against his will."

"Who would love the one enslaving them?" Juliet asked rhetorically, and with a surprising amount of clarity for her. She apparently wasn't a fan of the enslavement of gargoyles either.

"That is why I do not enslave my gargoyles." Even Juliet let out a little 'eep' when the Tremere Primogen appeared in front of us as if he had simply stepped out of another hidden door. The asian man simply smiled and held up his hand in a placating gesture. "Peace my dear friends, I am not an enemy to any of you, especially you, Sarah, despite what our Prince would have us believe to the contrary." Sarah opened her mouth but promptly shut it when the mage just chuckled knowingly. "Yes, I've known you were here soon after you appeared in our fair city. The fledgling that gave control of LA to the Anarchs, or rather, the survivor of a mad Prince's bid for control of a city he had no right to be in in the first place."

"Huh, and yet I saw not one of your buddies rushing to stop him." Sarah retorted, and rolled her eyes. "If you truly didn't want him to succeed then why didn't you send anyone, huh?"

Despite the slur against him, the Tremere only nodded in acceptance of the fact that mistakes had been made on their part. "I admit that the Camarilla had the hope of establishing a foothold in LA, something we wanted for a long time."

"Wanting something doesn't give you the right to have it." I blurted out unthinkingly and almost jumped when all turned to look at me. But I wouldn't back down now, I couldn't, not after what I had to endure to get here. "There are a lot of things I want… that others want, but if we all acted on these impulses, then we would have nothing but chaos." I admit that speech was a little ironic since I wanted to hunt down Charles, to find Eliza's murderer so that I could have my vengeance. Still, my desires were rather small in comparison to taking the leadership of an entire city.

The Tremere though, instead of getting insulted as I had expected, only smiled a little wider as he took a step closer between us. "You show more wisdom than some of my younger initiates, Alexandria. Eliza chose well in you, but few are those that didn't benefit from her gift in some way, often in ways even the oldest among us might not have expected at the time. You might have been shaped by your recent ordeals, but the core of your character remains the same despite those same trials."

"What would you know of my trials?" I couldn't help but ask, while I also wondered why he would even care. Afterall, what was one fledgling more or less, I was irrelevant to the Camarilla leadership. I held no illusions of grandeur about that. On the other hand, I vaguely remembered the way he had treated Juliet and had even spoken in Eliza's defense, in his own fashion, and he had spoke up for me as well now that I thought about it. Granted, it hadn't been directly in defense of my person in any sense of the word, yet I couldn't shake the impression that his word carried more weight than I believed at the time.

Sensing my Auspex induced insight, of sorts, the Tremere's smile only widened a little more. "I think I once told you that blood magic runs very deeply in my clan Ms. Watson. As such, I know more than you might guess. Just as I know you've been unconsciously using your Auspex with great skill to gleam information almost in the same way my dear Malkavian friend gleams such secrets from the clan curse of insight induced madness." That took me back a step as I once again expected him to boil my blood or something equally unpleasant, but his smile, almost fatherly in its warmth, never faltered as he turned his gaze on Juliet herself. "And now you come to me, seeking aid for the days ahead, my dear friend."

"Juliet had hoped." She replied softly.

"And your hope is not misplaced Juliet." The Tremere man replied as he gently grasped Juliet's right hand between his own wrinkled, pale fingers. "I know of the corruption you would warn me about. It took time, even for my….unique methods, to discover the truth, but I know what it is you seek, and how to claim it, but it will not be easy."

"Juliet knows this, Juliet knows that there will be much to do to topple the prince from his throne of lies." The Malkavian replied and looked down. "Juliet knows that it will be no easy task… for the suffering of this path has already begun." She mumbled and brought her gently clasped hand up to her face and rubbed her cheek against the mage's wrinkled fingers. He only nodded solemnly as she wiggled her hand free of his grasp. "But you have never steered Juliet wrong before."

"And you have been a loyal and most valued friend for many years, one I would do anything to protect, almost on par with that of your Samuel. Granted, I would not have been so hesitant to put on the act you portrayed for those watching." Juliet giggled despite the none too subtle jab at the charade she and Samuel had put together for those lapdogs loyal to Charles the Cunt.

"He is suffering…" I blurted out and took a step forward. " He is going through withdrawal of vampire blood… can you… help him?"

His gaze locked with mine and became even softer and understanding than before. "I wish I could childe, I truly do. But I fear were it that easy, you would hardly be the first to approach my clan because of such matters. I fear your friend has to fight this battle alone." Alone, like I left him in that building, alone like he had been for so long. Samuel had to do so much alone, I wish I could help him more often, I wished it with an intensity that even surprised myself.

"I… understand." I said slowly, doing my best not to sound too disappointed or start crying in despair. I doubt the mage in front of us needed any special powers to see how close I was to losing it though because he turned to me and simply pulled out a handkerchief from his voluminous red robes.

"Keep it, progeny of Eliza. You need it far more than me. Even without the Toreador curse altering your moods as easily as a coin toss, from what I gathered from when your life was laid bare before us, you were prone to outbursts not unlike our Brujah friend. Just without the explosions that followed in her wake." I couldn't help but laugh even as a few tears fell from my eyes. The Tremere man nodded his approval, gladdened by my ability to still laugh despite all I had been forced to endure, was still enduring, truth be told. Sarah did nothing save to roll her eyes before putting one gloved hand on my shoulder as I wiped up the remnants of the few tears I allowed myself in that moment. Once he was sure I was alright, at least for the moment, he turned to Juliet once more. "And so it has come to this. We happy few plan to overthrow yet another Prince. Beyond Lisa, who is his loyal right hand, he has a great number of foot soldiers, vampire and mortal alike, that he still commands. And there is the matter of his sheriff, his twin brother, ."

Hold up, what? I wasn't the only one that was taken aback by the news as Sarah jerked her head to regard the asian man before us in open shock, but Juliet only nodded, no doubt having been fully aware of the truth this whole time. Her 'Prince and his mirror' comment made a lot more sense though, when taken in this new light, which explained the man's very unCharles like behavior the night of the Main Event.

"He has a twin?" Sarah asked, as if to make sure she had heard right.

"Yes, and as much as most of us might revile and be repulsed by them, a few Nosferatu disappeared, never to be seen again when they started looking into the matter. The reason for that is both simple yet a monstrous notion at once, because they've either been….altered, or killed outright by the sheriff's deputy, Clara." The Tzimisce…..son of a bitch. I'm pretty sure both myself and Sarah wore matching expressions of disbelief and disgusted horror at the implications of this little tidbit of information.

"This… twin. He's the Sheriff, are you certain?" I asked, just to be sure. Finally, I had the murderer of the woman I loved within reach. Or at least I knew where to look, which meant that I could finally find him and make him pay. I wasn't so foolish to believe I had a snowball's chance in Hell though, not anymore, having seen my share of what the Kindred community was capable of. But at long last I had a target, perhaps I could take a page from Samuel's playbook and use others to kill him. Furthermore, this new knowledge removed any need for us to talk with Charles, he just became expendable to our cause.

"Careful fledgling," the mage began, drawing me out of my thoughts with those two little words, "you only have a name to go with your desire for vengeance, but even if you were to succeed, it would not bring back the one that made you what you are. Vengeance is a cold, stale dish that leaves nothing but ashes in the mouth."

"Perhaps, but I refuse to standby and let this murderer escape with what he has done. He murdered her because he and his brother are corrupt. That alone ensures that they deserve death, if he dies by my hand, all the better."

"Their status as having been corrupted by their power is not in question, but do you understand _why_ we deem them so dangerous to the rest of Camarilla society?" He asked, stopping me in my tracks since I hadn't even bothered to think along those lines. Taking my silence as an answer, the mage nodded, having expected as much. "While the Masquerade has been kept, it is not by our choice anymore. They rule through fear, not understanding for our individual plights. You've seen how things are out there, alliances with the Sabbat, an unholy affair between a Ventrue and a Tzimisce, and the city slowly spiraling into its own decadence and depravity with the rise of the Setites. These things alone would be enough to call them into question, but all of them together paint a clear picture for those with the will to stand against them. They have lost all perspective, and have allowed their impulses to rule them. Eliza's execution was just the latest crime against those among the Camarilla. She threatened their regime, not because she made you and supposedly threatened the Masquerade, but because she would have told you the truth of what we were up against. Truth as she saw it perhaps, but the truth none the less, thus ensuring your loyalty would not be with Charles and his twin and the corrupt establishment they've constructed in recent years."

Not that I had been very loyal to Charles in the first place, but hearing this, hearing the true reason behind Eliza's execution, had me clenching my fists as the implications became clear to me. Politics, it was all politics and backstabbing behind closed doors. "So she was killed because she didn't buy into his lies?" I hissed out, struggling to contain my temper. "Because he was afraid she would teach me to make my own opinions instead of trusting him?"

"Camarilla fucks in a nutshell for you." Sarah grumbled between clenched teeth, pretty much summing up my thoughts exactly until she flicked her gaze on the mage and Juliet. "Present company excluded." She was quick to correct herself, but if they had felt offended by our respective outbursts, neither the Tremere or Juliet reacted to the heated barbs in the slightest. "But I will say this, I can't say I blame the Anarchs for wanting to remove the Capes in whatever way they deem necessary in times like this. I might not agree with their extreme methods, but I can see why they do what they do."

"True to a certain degree, even though they are hypocrites." The Tremere Primogen said with a small shrug. "Or did their so called Baron step down when I wasn't looking?"

"Nope, Isaac is still in charge, and he's still got a stick up his ass, but at least he's honest about it." Sarah admitted freely and shrugged her shoulders with as much nonchalance as she could muster while at the same time snubbing the Tremere and the Camarilla in the process. For not being a diplomat, Sarah had a way of insulting everyone with startling ease and with minimum effort no less. A thought occurred to her then, and the angry frown on Sarah's face became more thoughtful as she regarded the robed, older man before her. "Never did ask but just what is your name anyway old man, or would you prefer I just call you a Tremere Cape?"

"I most certainly would not." He told the Brujah with a ruffled look on his aged features. "My name is Hisoka. I would appreciate it if you were to use it."

"Fine." Sarah deadpanned in retort before she waved one gloved hand in dismissive annoyance. "So Pissoka, where do you suggest we start with our assorted list of enemies out to kill us?"

"Do _not_ mock me." The Tremere growled back with a fire in his eyes. Forgetting my own anger and rage for a moment, I sighed and shook my head at Sarah as she purposely antagonized Hisoka, while Juliet just stared unerringly at the Brujah. Taking a moment to collect himself, Hisoka folded his hands neatly behind his back before speaking further. "As for your question… do you mean to tell me that you don't have a plan of your own?"

"We do, just not one I would like to share with you. I doubt you'd like it." Sarah shot back, unimpressed by his anger and looked at her gloves fingers in a bored manner. "Suffice to say, that a lot of you Cammies are gonna end up as dust by the end of it."

"And you'll allow this?" Hisoka asked Juliet accusingly. "You are part of the Camarilla as well, yet you are content to see them bring it to ruin."

I was surprised when Juliet walked away from Hisoka and joined us, her back to us but her intentions were clear as day as took her place on our side of the hall. "Juliet has seen much in her life, and Juliet knows the true value of things. If to protect those I love, Juliet has to rend the Camarilla apart like she does with minds… then she will do so. Besides, Juliet knows that Hisoka knows those that are part of New York's Camarilla are beyond redemption. The dark corruption that has taken the twins has reached far beyond them. Even those among your Chantry are not as they once were, old friend. Juliet would not trust any of them, except for you."

That sent the Tremere back a step, since while I didn't know it at the time, to say such a thing about a ruling leader of a Chantry, was to insult their very way of life. They practiced mass blood bonding, sharing a communal chalice of their blood to their young initiates, ensuring their devotion and loyalty to the clan, so to call into question that same devotion to the Tremere was a sure way to get your blood boiled, or turned into a gargoyle and bound that way, just to name a few ways the Tremere put down their enemies. So Hisoka's disbelief was well founded, to say the least, but since it came from Juliet, even he couldn't argue against her unique form of insight.

"No. That's impossible. I would know." Hisoka denied weakly and stumbled back, shock etched on his face. Juliet sent him a sympathetic glance but it didn't change her answer.

"Juliet is sorry, but your denial does not change the truth. Hisoka… at another time, Juliet may be more sympathetic to your suffering… but Juliet's mind is filled with worries of her own." Hisoka sighed but nodded in understanding to Juliet's words, before the Malkavian walked back to his side and put her hands on both sides of his face. "If you need proof of the traitors in your midst, look no further than your newest students. The boy without wings and his older sister."

"The boy wit-" He started to ask, but then he must have come to an answer because something in his eyes flashed and he grimaced as he gently pulled away from her embrace. "I see….I shall attend to the matter in due course. I'll have Robin and his sister's rooms searched as soon as we part ways. If you're right, I'll owe you a debt I will repay, in time. For now, if you truly wish my counsel, then I will do what I can to pave your way. And as much as it pains me to say it, I know you're right in what you've said about most of the Camarilla in these modern nights. We have lost our way, from our own negligence and complacency, and allowed this...sickness to consume us from within."

Juliet merely nodded, but before she got the chance to respond out loud, a Nosferatu seemed to materialize out of nowhere. "Yo, Hisoka. It's important, you got time for some news, provided you trust your homies here enough?" Well, this certainly was one of the younger Nosferatu given his little speech. He used a lot of the modern slang, the only thing missing was a basketball cap on his head and a basketball shirt and he would meet all the criteria of the cliche. Hisoka for his part only nodded in response before gesturing us to follow him to a far more private setting. "Well alright, gettin' to see the big man's office. Word of advice? Don't touch anythin', less you want it to blow up in your face or somethin'."

"Thanks, we'll keep that in mind." I told him with a small smile. If I was being honest, his appearance just reminded me of Tim and the apology I still owed him.

"Cool beans, gotta say, you're pretty nice to me for a Cleopatra." Coming from the guy next to me, it didn't sound so bad, but it still made me shudder a little bit as memories of the last Nosferatu came to the surface. Of course, that wasn't the only set of memories that came along for the ride.

"Ugh, please don't call me that. Brings back a lot of bad memories." I told him and tried to push back the memory of Abaddon's laughter as he slaughtered all those people.

"Sure thing… babe?" The young Nos asked hesitantly as we continued to follow our guide through the stone interior of the Chantry. More of the same stone work and gothic architecture stared down at us at every turn, but I hardly noticed it.

"Good enough I guess." I sighed and shrugged with a rueful smile. "Um...do you know Tim by chance?" I asked, hoping this guy did, but at the same time, I didn't expect him to either since New York was pretty huge. That and not every vampire knew the others, even among the technologically connected Nosferatu surely.

"Sure, he is the big boss after all." He replied with a smug grin. "Even met him a few times. Nice guy… for a boss."

"Then could you do me a favour, I probably won't get the chance to see him anytime soon." I sincerely hoped this guy could help me out, even if he was a little too eager for my liking.

"What do you need babe? I can get it done." The Nos asked cockily and grinned up at me.

"Tell him… I'm sorry. I truly am. He'll know what I mean." Sarah said nothing, but I could feel her approving gaze on my back as we came upon a long hallway with a number of doors on either side of us. The flickering of candles and gas lamps were the only illuminations, but it was enough that I could see the Nos lose the cheeky grin on his face and nod solemnly in response.

"I'll pass it along. Mind tellin' me why though?"

"Perhaps… sometime. But not now, it's still too fresh." I told him and lowered my eyes in shame. Another friend I had treated like dirt, another weight upon my consciousness.

"O-okay." He said and gave a small shrug. "Just so you know, the name is Kevin, babe. Don't forget it."

"Alex." I offered in greeting, and perked up a little when Kevin grinned and made a mental note of it just as Hisoka opened up the last door on the right. I had expected some manner of spell work or something before he just opened the door, but the reason why he didn't became apparent when I stepped through just ahead of Sarah and Juliet when I saw the giant gargoyle staring down on us on the left side of the door. I immediately swallowed the lump of terror in my throat, but walked past the giant sword bearing stone guardian.

"Hey Gabe." Kevin greeted the gargoyle as if he were saying hi to an old friend. "How's it hangin'?" 'Gabe' just grunted but otherwise ignored the cheerful Nosferatu fledgling. I just stared between him and the gargoyle as if Kevin were missing a basic survival instinct, but he just grinned a little wider before Hisoka waved his hand and the door shut once Juliet had cleared the doorway.

"Kevin, if you would be so kind and tell us what you've discovered." Hisoka's commanding voice 'asked' politely if a little impatient.

"Sure thing, boss guy." Kevin said and rolled his eyes at 'Gabe' as if they were friends sharing an inside joke. Which they weren't I guessed when 'Gabe' didn't so much as twitch in response.

A brief glance at Hisoka's office revealed a simple fact about the Tremere that I hadn't considered before. He was a 'modern mage' despite his age, meaning that like many of his clan in this day and age, he had kept up with the times and had learned how to use a computer, among other things some of his more traditional, reserved Tremere counterparts looked down upon. To use a more Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference, he was more technomage than your old world Merlin type. Sure, he had an entire wall devoted to books, some as old as I was, if not many times older, their covers worn and the letters illegible or written in foreign, dead languages, but there was also a number of more modern items scattered about his private office. A cellphone charger, a set of speakers for his computer, which was a HD flatscreen with its accompanying tower beneath the desk itself, and a number of assorted gadgets and gizmos that he seemed well versed in their care and operation with the ease he moved about them. As for the man himself, Hisoka sat down behind his desk and folded his hands smartly on the oak top surface, his eyes riveted on the Nosferatu youth.

"Alrighty… where to start. Ah, I know!" Kevin said and rubbed his hands. "I just found a Camarilla patrol, slaughtered to the last man. Got there before any of the authorities. Interested?"

"Tell me everything." Hisoka demanded calmly and crossed his arms. He even went as far as to close his eyes, as if his eyesight could distract him from the story Kevin was about to tell him.

"M'kay. So you see, I was just walking through the sewers not that far from the Hudson, when I suddenly heard all these gunshots and screams and all that. I told myself 'Damn Kevin, don't be dumb and go there while people are getting torn apart', cause you know, bad for my health and stuff." He told us animatedly, but when he saw the frown on Hisoka's face, Kevin chuckled nervously. "R-right, sorry boss. Anyway, after the silence fell above, I waited for a bit and then went up. Wasn't pretty, those guys that didn't belong in an ashtray were shot up pretty bad. Or burned, whoever attacked them didn't lack fire power. Some of them were torn apart, there were some slashes in the walls, and in some poor bastards' chest. One even looked like something with claws had ripped open his body. I almost threw up, I swear, but I figured that wouldn't be smart. Good thing I didn't, cause the guys that did it weren't out of the area."

It was here that Kevin pulled out a USB drive, hopped Hisoka's desk, and plugged it into the tower before smiling sheepishly as he took over the Tremere Primogen's workspace. I didn't know if I admired him or not for his obvious disregard to Hisoka's station, but the old mage did nothing as Kevin quickly navigated his way to what he was looking for before we gathered around the pair on the other side of the desk. He pulled up a video file he had been able to grab, and gestured towards the screen. "And voila, there's your boogeymen that's been tearing up the night."

The figures on the screen were familiar, eerily so even if I never had met them before. But I had seen them, in a painting above Juliet's fireplace. Armored and armed with deadly weaponry I've never seen before. Their armors seemed to differ in some regards, depending on which role they fulfilled. There were two of slighter build, but with greater speed that had swords and sharpened gauntlets, and I witnessed how such a gauntlet shredded both body armor and the ribcage beneath it with a single swipe as the suited warrior finished off one of the few survivors of the initial attack.

The heavier variants carried the heavier weaponry, one had what looked like a machine gun that you usually had to situate somewhere in hand, the other carried a flamethrower. Yet another two seemed something in between, acting as guardians for their slower counterparts and providing precise cover fire for their lighter armored friends, not that it looked like they needed it. Even the light armored variant seemed to just ignore the few bullets that hit them as another vampire was cut into pieces. And whom they were loyal to was abundantly clear, the golden crucifixes saying as much.

What happened next though both surprised and unsettled me. Another figure walked into the frame, this one not armored like his companions but in a light leather coat with a hood. They gathered around him as he lifted his arms, and with a flash, they disappeared, but this was not what unsettled me. All of those armored killing machines had looked right at the camera before disappearing, they had known that it had been there. They wanted to be seen, whatever the cause they no longer wished to remain in the shadows. Kevin shuddered as the video came to an end, and he moved aside to allow Hisoka full access to his computer once more. "So boss, what do ya think?"

Hisoka remained silent for several long moments before he nodded his approval of the Nosferatu's work. "You did well in bringing this to my attention my young friend. I assume Tim already knows of this development." When Kevin gave his affirmative, no surprise honestly, Hisoka continued. "Then I shan't tell him what I want him to do. The fact these people wanted to be seen disturbs me the most, as did their brutally effective measures against our number."

"Juliet has seen this before…had hoped I was wrong." The Malkavian murmured lowly, and shook her head.

"Where?" Hisoka demanded and whirled to look at her.

"In my dreams… as well as Sammy's… it is called Crusader Armor. Meant to destroy the supernatural. Whether it be Kindred, ghost or werewolf. All shall fall in front of the paladins' crusade." She intoned gravely and shook her head once again. "Juliet had hoped that such things would not come to pass… but they did… poor Sammy. Only one way this ends, if things cannot be steered another way." I don't think any of us needed her to clarify what she meant by that given what we'd just seen on Hisoka's computer screen.

"These things are meant to kill werewolves? Well, damn. That could complicate things." Sarah admitted uncomfortably, and crossed her arms with a brooding look on her face.

"Don't lose hope yet, red eyes. Someone once taught Sammy, and through him me, that sometimes you just have to believe in others. Even if it doesn't seem like they deserve it."

"Really think it's gonna be this easy?" Sarah asked sardonically and gestured at the screen to prove her point.

"Easy? No, it won't be easy. But perhaps not as difficult as red eyes thinks… if all goes well." Juliet told us solemnly, eyes sad with knowledge she didn't, or couldn't, share.

It was in that moment that I knew that things would get really difficult. It was just the way the universe was, as soon as someone said something like that the worst possible scenario would happen. Probably, not so sure with Malkavian because even the universe could probably be confused by them. That said, nothing would surprise me anymore, and at the time, the thought was beginning to take root that this would be anything but easy, even with a Malkavian on our side.

"We should head home… things are happening. Sammy won't be in bed for much longer. I know him…" Juliet told us seriously and nodded to herself. "Yes, out of bed, he will go soon… so try to restrain yourself red eyes."

"Uh… did she just tell me not to sleep with him _too_ much?" Sarah asked me uncertainly and sent me a questioning glance, apparently hoping that I could make more sense of the Malkavians comment.

"Yes, Juliet did." Juliet instead answered. "Sammy has to be alert, can't have you sucking all the energy out of him by making love."

"This… just got awkward." Sarah said slowly and face palmed. "Great, apparently I had repressed memories of meeting the parents of my first boyfriend… now I got them back.. Yay."

"I could stand to hear a bit more." Kevin chimed in, earning an offended, angry glare from the Brujah for his comment.

"Now is _so_ not the time." Said Brujah groaned in exasperation.

"Alright, guess I'll have to plant a few cams in your boyfriend's bedroom then before you get a chance to lock things down."

"Do that, and they'll never find your ashes." Sarah growled, her red eyes flashing dangerously behind her sunglasses as she tried to stare down the still grinning fledgling. Despite the very thin rope he was walking, I couldn't help but admire the young man's brass balls as he shamelessly kept poking at the formidable Brujah. Even if it was about as stupid as you could get, it was still fun to watch the two go at it.

"In a good way or a bad way?" The young Nosferatu asked with a playful leer.

"Take a guess." Sarah bit out and went as far as to growl at the younger vampire.

"No times for games… let us go home… our planet needs us!" Juliet exclaimed with a little giggle and turned around herself a few times. "Sammy is better the voices claim, the voices don't lie to me… often."

Hisoka bore it all with a patience bordering on zen like before a relieved smile started to pull at his wrinkled face. Despite the very odd behavior of his long time Malkavian friend, and the antics of Kevin and Sarah on both sides of his chair, he seemed genuinely happy to be surrounded by those Juliet called friends despite the bad news she had brought to his door. I would rather call them eccentric or insane, but that's just me. Besides, they are my friends too, so what does that say about me?

The walk back to Juliet's was uneventful, and while the night was still young, we had plenty of reason to stay indoors as we quickly filed back into the Malkavian's home. It wasn't until we got inside that I sensed something amiss. Sarah noticed too and none too gently pushed Juliet behind her. "Someone's here that shouldn't be." She said, and while I couldn't tell you how we both knew that to be certain, I knew she was right as I looked up to the second floor railing just as the Brujah did.

Seeing Beckett slumped over the railing, unconscious but alive, was enough for us to begin to worry as we heard slow, deliberate footsteps coming down the hallway. I made no move save to grab the offered dagger Sarah held out to me before the source of the noise from upstairs came into sight. It wasn't Samuel, which both relieved and worried me in equal measure, although if it had been him I think Beckett might have been exsanguinated, drained of blood, given the simple fact Samuel was still quite literally bloodthirsty.

"I can say that I did not expect _that_ , David." An unknown voice said from Samuel's room. "You tied to a bed in the final throes of withdrawal. What happened?"

"Long story….got time to listen?" Samuel groaned, which spurred myself and Sarah to climb the stairs as silently as we could while Samuel kept our unwanted houseguest distracted. "You certainly made an impression on Beckett outside, so you m-must be here for a reason."

"I am sorry about your friend, but he wouldn't believe me. As for my reason… when I discovered that you were not who you appeared to be and confronted you… you told me that you wished to find a friend… after you discovered her fate you wished to leave this behind, even though you knew that others wouldn't want that. They are here, David. And it won't take them long to hear about you, and find you." The mysterious person explained slowly.

"F-figured as much. He always was a persistent son of a bitch." Samuel replied, and even managed a small if humorless chuckle before a painful sounding cough escaped him. "Damn...always remembered the last few hours of withdrawal were the most physically painful, but at least my mind's starting to be my own again."

"Yeah… except for when you thought I was him and asked me why I betrayed you." Was the dry reply before the voice grew concerned. "Your friend will wake up soon, and I can sense three more in the house. I should probably get going."

"Oh I wouldn't bother hunter." Sarah said as she stepped around the door just as the hunter turned and grinned despite the odds facing him. "I was just starting to like you too, worried about my boyfriend and all."

"Sarah I take it. Sarah Harding from LA no less. The fledgling that brought the LA Camarilla chapter to its knees." Sarah for her part remained perfectly still as the hunter, a dark skinned brunette with green eyes laid out her deeds in detail just from a simple glance in her direction. "Saved me a lot of work there… and removed those bothersome fanatics as well. Thanks for that by the way. 'Chastity' was a fool, so removing her while you were at it was just another point in your favor."

"Strange, I thought you'd be upset."

The hunter only shrugged, unbothered by the hostility radiating off of Sarah. "Please, I work independently, only times I work with others when it's too big for me alone. Or I get offered a good payment for training a few newbies, met David that way. Not that his real name. Never introduced himself properly though."

I couldn't help but notice the southern drawl the man had as I looked between him and Samuel, who looked far more with it than he'd been the last time I'd seen him. "You knew Samuel, who are you exactly?"

The southern hunter only smiled and tipped an imaginary hat in my direction, exuding an unusual amount of charm despite the very precarious situation he found himself in. "My name's not important. But if you insist, you may call me Olorin though."

"The name of Gandalf in Valinor? Really?" Samuel questioned him weakly and rolled his eyes. "Typical."

"Well, I do know some magic. So it is fitting is it not?" 'Olorin' argued back and sent a glare at Samuel. "Besides you're going through withdrawal, you should just lie still and shut up. Speeds up the healing process."

"Yeah yeah, thanks grandpa." Samuel retorted, but Olorin just chuckled and shot the bound young man a cheeky grin in response.

"Careful, I'm sure I can still kick your ass with one hand behind my back." Olorin replied before turning back to me and Sarah, his green eyes dancing with mischief as he leveled his gaze fully on me. "So, Georgia? Alabama? Where you from that you sound like you walked off the set of Gone with the Wind?"

Despite the tension I couldn't help but crack the smallest of grins at Olorin's banter. "Georgia, you had it right the first time."

"Well good then, glad to see I haven't lost my touch." I briefly remembered a talk with Samuel about how certain vampire hunters liked to charm their way into a vampire's home before staking them. I got the feeling I was meeting one such hunter, with the way the attractive older man was shamelessly flirting with me.

"Put a sock in it Olorin." Samuel told him with a light cough. "You better leave, when my old friends find me they won't take to kindly to you warning me."

"Yeah, wish I'd thought about that." Olorin drawled with an eyeroll. "Say kid, do you have an idea how to deal with them?"

"Maybe… but it's crazy." Sarah responded as she and I relaxed and I handed the curved knife back to the Brujah. I doubted I'd have had a chance to put it to use against Olorin if it had come to blows.

"Surprise, surprise. That never happened with you before." Came the southern drawl filled with sarcasm in response. Olorin though apparently decided that he had stayed long enough, for with a shake of his head and sudden movement of his arms, he had disappeared from the room.

The growling, snarling Gangrel that came bounding down the hallway behind us just as Olorin disappeared had me jumping with alarm while Sarah only rolled her eyes at Beckett. "Sit boy!" She commanded, to which Beckett just gave her a confused yip before he transformed midstep.

"Really? Do I look like your common, housebroken pup?" He retorted, even as he rubbed the back of his head, where Olorin had likely gotten the drop on him. "I take it from the lack of bloody body parts that this was a friendly social visit?"

"Not quite, he came to warn me that some people are in town that would probably love to get their hands on me." Samuel replied from his bound position on the bed. "Not to worry, I got a plan."

"Really?" I asked skeptically and raised my eyebrows in response. "Tell me, will anyone here, besides you, like that plan?"

"No." Samuel deadpanned before raising his right hand to try and scratch the bridge of his nose, only to remember he was still tied down. "Oh, right, these things." He mused before he shrugged and let out a tired sigh. "But as for the plan, I'm still not quite me yet, so it wouldn't be able to be put together tonight anyway."

"Does it involve a lot of shooting?" Sarah asked with her usual trademark glee.

"Later on perhaps, but I thought I'd first talk to them." Samuel droned without missing a beat.

"You what?" Was the shouted reply of both me and Sarah at that as we glared down at the bound human.

"Little boy has the right idea." Was Juliet's reply to our disbelieving shrieks as she pushed past us. "Samuel is smarter than you two, should listen to him more often."

"I feel like we just got insulted." Sarah remarked and looked at me for confirmation.

"A little, but she's got a point. He isn't stupid, despite how he acts." I replied, to which Samuel just grinned a little while Juliet sat down next to him on the bed. "I guess we can hear him out before shouting his ears off."

"Good. So, here's the plan." Samuel stated, and while Sarah made it no secret she didn't like the idea, the more he talked, the more she couldn't help but agree with his logic. All in all, it wasn't a bad idea, but as with anything with Samuel, there was a great number of risks involved.

But then again, that's what he's good for.

 **Endnotes** _ **:**_ _**Nomad-117:**_ _Tada! Here we go, did you expect those things to happen as they did? Did you? Did you? Just kidding, but I hope we didn't get too predictable while writing this. The voices in my head say that we are not but what do they know my precious? Seriously though, I most certainly didn't enjoy putting Samuel through… that. But withdrawal should not be underestimated, so we decided to show it in a hopefully appropriate manner. Even though we didn't go into the details, though I doubt that you need that. Let's just say it's not pretty. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one. Until next time, folks! See you!_

 _ **Vergil1989**_ _: As for the plan in question, it'll likely involve a fair amount of shooting, things blowing up, and a lot of bloody, violent deaths, but first we need to set a few things up before getting to the fun stuff. That means more talking, more running around, and likely more than a few more revelations along the way. As for the ones we've already given you guys, be honest, how many had already figured out Charles had a twin? And that his twin was the one that was hanging on Clara's arm during the Main Event chapter? Show of hands, come on, I'm curious. In any event, the idea Charles had a brother that is both different and very similar to the man was both of our ideas, but it was initially Nomad's idea that brought it to life at all. We just worked out the details together._

 _Anyway, that's hardly the end of the surprises. See ya folks and hope to see more of those wonderful reviews, faves, and everything else now that the FF admin got the stupid thing to work properly again lol. Adios!_


	19. Honor and Duty

**Chapter 19: Honor and Duty**

"Did I mention that this plan is stupid?" I hissed at Samuel from behind as he casually stood in front of one of the fountains in central park. "How do you even know that they won't just kill you instantly?"

"Experience, now stay close or they might decide to shoot you, or Sarah." Samuel grumbled back, unhappy when we both insisted on accompanying him. His plan was bold as ever and the moment he felt well enough, he enacted it. It was actually pretty simple, the first part of his plan anyway. He used the old Society of Leopold frequencies he still knew to send a message. Even if they stopped using those, they most likely still kept an eye on them.

"Which just fills us with confidence, Sammy." Sarah drawled and rolled her eyes. "You know, usually I like your plans, but usually you try to kill the enemy instead of us."

"I told you, you should have stayed with Juliet, you refused remember? Besides, if this goes well, we got another ace up our sleeve." Samuel argued back at her calm as ever. "Besides, do you think I'd die before you give me that promised ride?"

"Really? Now?" I couldn't help but groan in exasperation, though I actually managed to keep the embarrassment in check, probably due to the life threatening situation I was in.

"It's really you, after all this time." A voice said from the darkened tree line, interrupting my thoughts and our conversation. "Now you stop running and I wonder why."

"I was wondering when you'd get here. Expected you earlier to be honest." Samuel retorted, his hands slowly clenching and unclenching.

"You... You stand before us as a renegade and a traitor. Your actions brought shame on yourself and our sacred mission. You will be taken for questioning before your true penance begins, Richard." The figure hissed out anger in every syllable. "If that is even your name. Last I heard you dared to defile our society once more under the guise of David."

"Hello, Michael." Samuel said back coldly, and with a hostility I didn't think him capable of. His brows furrowed as he glared darkly at the armored man still shrouded in shadows, not that it meant much to me, my eyes easily piercing them.

"Insolent as ever, I would have thought that your years in hiding would have taught you some humility." Michael shot back, his own hand flexing at the butt of his pistol. While I couldn't see him clearly, his armored helmet in the way of even my night adapted blue eyes, I could still see the anger and rage behind the otherwise green tinted eyepieces.

"If they haven't managed to do the same to you, why should I be any different. Now where are the others? Gabriel? Zuriel? Roland? Angela? Just to name a few." Samuel asked back as coldly as before.

"You truly have no idea what you have done, do you, traitor?" Michael asked as he just glared down at us behind his armored suit's helmet.

"Oh? I'm the traitor?" Samuel asked as he put a hand against his chest and bent forward a little, somehow exuding more danger than his former friend in his full Crusader get up. "I didn't betray the trust of someone I called brother. I wanted you to go along with us. We could have been a family, but you destroyed any chance of that. You and your damn blind loyalty."

"You dare accuse me of deceit? Once you revealed your true colors and corrupted my sister, you left me with no choice." Michael emphasized this particular comment with an angry swing of his left arm before him, his fist glancing off of a nearby tree. It was only a glancing shot, but the tree's trunk still snapped like a toothpick. It was enough for Sarah and myself to get an idea of just how much power the armor had behind it, and the chances we had of getting out of this just went lower in my mind at least.

"No choice? _No choice_?" Samuel asked lowly, a threatening growl creeping into his voice. "You always have a choice! Always! You of all should know that! You were _her_ brother! You were _my_ brother in all but blood. Why? Why did you betray us?"

Michael had since grown tired of skulking in the shadows and stomped over to Samuel, all but ignoring us as he soon towered over Samuel. "To save her from your influence!"

Despite the obvious height difference between them, Samuel in his simple armored suit still seemed the more dangerous of the two for some reason as he glared right into the emotionless faceplate of Michael's armor. Part of that was likely the sympathy I felt for the man, and why he had kept this part of his life so closely guarded. I already knew people in love would do anything to protect it, or in his case, protect what was left, even if it was only memories as it was for him, and myself. "I tried to push her away! I did, but in the end I accepted her. I knew that I was darkness while she was the light. She saved me from myself, I would never have done anything to hurt her. Yet you made sure that I did, even if it was only indirectly."

"You destroyed her! She had a purpose with us! And you darkened her mind with your lies!" It was painful to watch these two equally strong, equally wronged individuals tear each other down as they were, but I didn't need my Auspex to tell me they also needed this. Or I just wanted to hear more of the story that Samuel had, up to this point, kept to himself. Either way, neither Sarah or myself intervened as they continued to yell at each other.

"Lies? I merely told her the truth since I couldn't lie to her anymore!" Samuel hissed back, hands shaking with repressed rage. "Tell me, was it worth it? Was your sister's life worth the loyalty to those desperate old men in the vatican?"

That actually silenced Michael for a moment as he breathed heavily in response, faceplate staring at Samuel with the same hatred as before, but also something else. Taking his silence for what it was, Samuel snorted in derision before he spoke once more. "I think I got my answer." Samuel scoffed and shook his head in contempt. "Now tell me what _I_ 've done aside from telling her the truth."

"You ignorant fool. Your actions had consequences beyond your understanding!" Michael screamed at him, seemingly barely able to stop himself from attacking Samuel. "When you escaped the first time, my sister paid the price for your treacherous acts. The second time you were found, and we failed to capture you… the inquisitor general decided that we all had been corrupted by you! We were exiled, branded traitors and heretics! All because of your actions!"

Samuel didn't look away, but whatever furious anger had been fueling him seemed to disappear for the most part as he sagged a little. "Believe it or not, I am sorry. I truly am, I never wished any of the others harm… aside from you."

"You think an apology is going to be enough? Roland and Angela are dead! Killed by those we called brothers and sisters! We had to flee and take all of our research with us lest they find a way to exploit our weaknesses! Not that you gave a damn about anyone but you."

"Enough." A voice whispered from the other side of the fountain. "We have come to detain him for his actions… not to rip open old wounds." The speaker was a woman even if it was impossible to tell with her armor on, a sword strapped over her back as she marched up to Michael. "He must answer for his crimes… but not like this. He will have a chance to defend himself."

"You still cling to this ridiculous concept of justice? He is no better than the monsters he brought with him!"

"Monsters? Care to tell me why they are monsters? Just because they suck blood? Because they were embraced without knowing anything about what it would mean?" Samuel asked challengingly and moved to stand between us and Michael as much as possible. The woman would have a free strike at us but she didn't seem interested in attacking us at the moment.

"You still defend them? Can't you see them for what they truly are? They are evil! Have you forgotten all that we've been taught."

"No, but you were taught only a small fraction of the whole. If you claim them to be monsters then what does that make us? We are the only way for them to stay alive, we are the elder race if the stories are to be believed. How can we expect them to be good when we are ourselves are not? It was not them that developed nuclear weapons, it was not them that started two world wars as well as countless smaller ones. Those were our sins! How can we call them monsters when our atrocities are so much worse?" Samuel demanded to know and clenched his fists again. "How can you be so blind? All I ask of you is to look at them and see them for what they truly are."

"This is not the issue right now." The woman shot back and moved to stand between the two men. "We can discuss this at a later date."

"Zuriel! You-" Michael started to protest, but a sharp glance from Zuriel shut him up just as a second and third Crusader seemed to appear out of the shadows, joining Zuriel's side. It was becoming increasingly clear, at least to me, that there was division in the ranks. Maybe, just maybe, Samuel's plan could work after all?

"Enough, we were exiled from our own brothers and sisters. Declared heretics, perhaps it is time to see if we have been blinded all along." The newly identified Zuriel shot back and gave Michael a shove that sent him back a step. "The old command structure is no longer in effect, we will put it to a vote. If you don't like it… feel free to leave your armor and weapons here, but you will not leave here with them." With that declaration, the two Crusaders behind Zuriel raised their weapons and pointed them at the violent, hostile Michael. While they didn't relish the idea of putting him down if they had to, I knew they would do so if it came to it, if for no other reason than to protect Zuriel first and foremost over any of us. Even so, that set my mind at ease more than it probably should have.

Michael gave a low growl but relented as the faceplate of his comrade glared him down, and the fire power his other comrades aimed at him. "You two, Kindred. What are you doing here?" Zuriel demanded of us, while cold, it was at least more or less polite without any zealous hatred in her voice or aura.

"We're here supporting a friend and brother of our own." I said, speaking for myself before Sarah had a chance to do so. "He's about the only reason I'm still standing at all."

"I see… if you wish to accompany him any further I will have to insist on binding your hands. I am not about to trust one of your kind, not yet at the very least." While Zuriel's two companions shared a slightly uncomfortable look at the idea, she ignored them as she patiently waited for a response from us.

Sarah, for once, didn't argue as she held up her hands side by side. "Meh, it's been awhile since I've been tied up anyway." I groaned but followed her example and held up my own hands to be bound as they required, just so they'd trust us, at least a little more than they did at that moment. That said, I was still surprised by the Brujah's willingness to go through with this at all. I didn't realize that she was strong enough to break free of most traditional cuffs, albeit with her Potence.

"I… thank you for your cooperation." Zuriel replied, apparently uncertain what to make of such a reply. "As for you." With that she turned to look at Samuel. "Tell us your real name before your trial begins, for it is neither Richard nor David, that much is clear."

"My name, my birth name, is Samuel… and I am sorry about Roland, Zuriel. I knew you two were close." He told her with genuine remorse audible in every syllable.

Zuriel seemed to freeze for a moment before shaking herself from her stupor. "Thank you, but at least the old man had a good death. A better one than most of us get."

"May he rest in peace then, Zuriel." Samuel offered in response as the Crusader on Zuriel's right produced something from his belt that definitely didn't qualify as your traditional police issue handcuffs. "If my friends are bound… then so shall I be."

"As you wish." The Crusader who held the cuffs, that had a number of LED lights about their metallic surface, said in a baritone voice as he stomped over, and gently placed them around Samuel's wrists before he moved to do the same to myself and Sarah. "Vampire tested, trust me. Even your Brujah friend won't be breaking out of these."

"You sure?" She asked with a challenging grin.

Despite the tension in the air, the Crusader only chuckled darkly. "If you do, we'll kill you and all that assist you." The man replied, not speaking a threat, but merely telling her the consequences of such an action. "I trusted Richa- I mean Samuel before. He never tried to kill any of us. So as his friends, I will give you the benefit of the doubt, despite your nature, if only for tonight."

"Fair enough." Sarah relented and made no further move to test how much patience these people had, much to my silent relief. But with her, that didn't last long. "Just don't be surprised if tonight doesn't go as you think it will."

"Few of these nights do." The man replied darkly, and shook his head. "And not because of your kin."

"Gabriel." Samuel said to the man with a small nod. "I am sorry that I caused you all so much trouble."

"We'll see… Samuel. You have been kind to me before your 'betrayal', so this dulls my perception of your transgressions. But I don't believe you are as evil as they claim to be."

"They?" I couldn't help but ask only to suppress a squeal when the large man turned to look at me and stomped over, cuffs in hand. I didn't flinch as the cuffs were locked in place, and a strange sensation came over me the moment they clamped shut over my wrists. I shook my head as a wave of dizziness went over me, and when I blinked and cleared my vision, I realized that my Auspex was gone. I was, in essence, silenced, or to put it in plain speech, I was unable to use any of my powers, which meant Sarah was similarly blocked. Fuck me sideways and to the moon! These guys were far more dangerous than I would have guessed.

"The Society of Leopold and the more gung ho Inquisition at large." The man explained calmly, and I had to admit I was surprised by this. For his large size, he was actually rather gentle and seemed unusually patient with our kind. "Since our exile I have begun to question a lot of the things I've been taught." He answered my unspoken questioned softly. "As for the dampening field built into the cuffs, you have our mage friends to thank for that." It was then that I saw one of the cloaked, brown trench coat men I had seen on that video wiggle his fingers cheerfully in my direction. Where he'd come from, I couldn't begin to tell you, but the fact I couldn't make out anything resembling a face didn't surprise me so much. I could name half a dozen magical spells that could disguise someone, and none of them required a vampire's Obfuscate. Nerd remember? I read more than my share of R.A. Salvatore and George R.R. Martin. As for the mages of our World of Darkness we all live in, well, they're their own can of worms. I will say this though, reality is their playground, and even the lowliest of hedge mages are not to be trifled with lightly.

"Enough talk, Gabriel. Let's move." The last Crusader told him though without any hostility in it. I was more than a little surprised to hear that the voice coming from the giant flamethrower wielding armor was female.

"On it." He grumbled back and looked at the three of us. "Please keep close to Peter… he is the one with the hood."

"Thank you for the introduction, Gabriel." The man said with a dry chuckle. "I assume the usual destination?"

"Correct, if you would be so kind." Zuriel asked or rather stated with a polite nod in his direction. He returned the nod in kind, lifted his hands and… suddenly we were somewhere else. I was kind of disappointed, I had expected at least a tingly feeling from the teleport and no- Oh god, I suddenly had the urge to vomit what blood I had in me on the floor. "I apologize, it can be a rather unpleasant feeling to those who are not used to it. I've never seen a vampire throw up before though, might be interesting." Peter none too helpfully said, and I got the unmistakable impression, even without my Auspex, that he was grinning mischievously behind his magical illusion.

 _ESS, save me please, come to save me!_ I thought desperately and I would have fallen from the sudden sense of vertigo hadn't the as of yet unidentified woman grabbed my shoulder. "Careful, it would be a pity if you killed yourself by falling on something sharp now would it?" The woman asked me mockingly, decidedly less friendly than her two compatriots.

"Ah, Darra. As confrontational as ever I see." Samuel remarked with a small eyeroll. "I always doubted that anyone could teach you manners."

Darra just snorted and waved one armored hand in open derision. "Right, as if you're one to talk silver fox. You and I always competed for top marks on everything we did."

"And I was always humble to the last, even as I outshone you in everything we did together." Despite his less than humble sounding comment, Samuel was merely stating a fact, but Darra still grumbled something unsavory under her breath all the same.

Now that I wasn't about to throw up, I was able to look around the immediate area. We were in some kind of derelict factory, long abandoned, no surprise, and while most of the machinery was likely nonfunctional, old and rusted beyond any hope of repair, I was pretty sure some of the metal husks had been ripped apart for spare parts. We were in the center of the main floor, and I was pretty sure I could hear a deep, continuous rumble below us. Machinery? Something was going on below our very feet anyway, but I didn't get a chance to ponder it for long.

"Well, it seems that Richard didn't change that much… now did he?" A voice asked from the second floor, staring down at us was another armored figure. This one had the same light armor variant as Zuriel, his voice devoid of emotion, both good and bad.

"Actually it's Samuel. And despite the fact that I've already told the others… sorry about the mess I caused, Ben."

Ben scoffed and leaned on the railing glaring down at us darkly. "Well, at least you are polite about it. Though I wonder why the hell did you bring their kind with you? Usually we just kill them by the dozen and be done with it."

"I'll explain later, for now get Mitchell. We will decide on Samuel's fate, as well as… another issue." Zuriel told him calmly not even reacting as Peter disappeared again, this time leaving us behind.

"Got it. Gotta say, I am curious how this will turn out." Ben murmured and walked through a door behind him, disappearing from view. Usually I would be glad that none of them seemed too hostile towards us, save for Michael, but I knew that if they were anything like Samuel, they were masters at hiding what the truly thought and felt.

"Follow me." Zuriel ordered curtly and led us through the labyrinth of machinery, most of it rusted beyond repair, until we reached an old wooden door, looking ready to fall off its hinges at any moment. Zuriel corrected me when she gave it a light shove and it fell into the room, its hinges not even connected to the wall anymore. Behind it lay what appeared to be some form of improvised dojo. "Not exactly ideal for this kind of thing, but it's the only clean room we have here at the moment." She explained, and we only nodded or simply looked as our personalities dictated.

Zuriel seemed curious about us, but before she could probe us with questions, Michael, having been silent long enough, pushed past us none too gently. "Enough of this nonsense Zuriel. I would have this done and over with."

"Patience, Michael. Our leader was Roland, his XO was Angela. Since both of them are dead, we are all equal. Yet you all decided to elect me to make the decisions in tough times. This is one of those times. I expect you to honor your own decision." Zuriel told him patiently, but with a hint of a warning in her voice. I was starting to respect this strange, quiet woman more and more, despite the fact she wasn't exactly our friend either.

"Understood." Michael huffed out and walked to stare at the opposite wall with crossed arms. "Try not to touch anything, filthy Kindred." He muttered low enough that only Sarah and I could hear him. That said, Zuriel still shot him a glance when Sarah flipped him off, despite the fact her hands were still bound.

"Ma'am, you wished to see me?" A new male voice said from the… doorway. Wearing the same armor as Michael, which meant that he was one of them who attacked with more precision than his heavy weapon counterparts, without getting into the melee like Zuriel and Ben seemed to.

"Mitchell, I told you a thousand times, don't call me ma'am. And yes, we finally have the chance to hear and judge our betrayer." Zuriel replied and gestured for him and Ben to enter the room fully. While his faceplate looked at both Sarah and me for a moment, Mitchell chose not to comment.

"Understood ma- Zuriel." He amended when her head snapped to the side to glare at him.

"Excellent, then we can begin." Was her only comment before looking at Samuel. "Step forward, the interrogation begins now." The rest of the group had since filed into the room, both to see how the proceedings would end, and to ensure we wouldn't try to make a break for it, not that we could go anywhere given our magical bindings.

Once everyone was gathered, Zuriel waited until the room fell silent before she waited another moment. Only once she was sure, even Michael, was listening, did she begin the questioning. "You infiltrated our order to gather intel and destroy our society, do you deny it?"

"No, that was my original plan." Samuel responded, calm as ever, even if I really wished he would be less honest or at least blunt at the moment.

"You say 'original plan', I assume something changed?" Zuriel pressed on, I knew that she knew that she was right but she wanted to do this right. So that everyone could hear it. So that there was no misunderstanding later.

"That is correct." Was his bland reply as he stared straight at her faceplate.

"And your reasons for the infiltration?" Zuriel asked simply.

"Vengeance." Samuel replied with a stony face, evidently not liking where this was going even though he had expected it.

"Elaborate." Zuriel commanded softly, but with the authority her rank afforded her. Even so, there was an underlying current of sympathy in her voice.

"Vampire hunters killed my parents, my adoptive parents to be more precise." That reply caused a slight reaction. I don't know what tech they had in those armored suits, but the way they glanced at each other made me suspect that they were talking among each other. "They mistakenly identified them as the Kindred who murdered some people in our neighbourhood."

"So the hunters killed humans? Who were not affiliated with vampires at all?" Zuriel questioned sharply, clenching her fists as she stood to her full impressive height. "To do so is against all our laws."

"No, my parents _were_ Kindred, but not the ones responsible for the crimes." If his earlier claim had got them talking, this one silenced them, at least for a moment.

"You think us fools?" Michael hissed at him, hand playing with his still holstered pistol. "Kindred would never adopt a human, we are but cattle to them."

"Do I think you're a fool? Yes, but that is irrelevant, what is relevant is that you are wrong again Michael." Samuel shot back with a glare in the armored man's direction. They really didn't like each other, that much was clear.

"Can you give us some proof of your claims?" Zuriel asked him, infinitely more polite than her 'colleague'.

"If I can grab my wallet, I'll show you all the proof you need." Samuel assured them, Zuriel first and foremost.

"Gabriel, release him." She ordered after a short moment of contemplation. The hulking man stomped over to do just that before retreating back to the side lines. Samuel for his part, slowly drew his wallet and pulled out a couple of old photographs, similar to the ones parents would keep of their children.

"Here, look, this should convince you." He told her and handed them over. Zuriel looked over each and every one of them with a critical eye before nodding and giving them to the next one.

"I am convinced, but the rest should see this proof as well." She explained her reasoning for the benefit of the three of us. The rest of her friends were even polite enough to give me the photos even though I had trouble grabbing them with the cuffs on and all that. The photos basically consisted of pictures of the same two people in the span of a lot of years, was the best I could say. From the quality of the photos and the pictures they depicted. On one, the unfinished eiffel tower could be seen in the background. Samuel didn't come into the 'picture' until near the end of the stack of photos he had tucked away in his wallet, but there were almost as many of him as there had been of the two well dressed man and woman that, despite their shared curse, looked genuinely happy together. The first naturally was of Samuel as a gray haired little baby boy, and he only slowly got progressively older the farther one got through the stack.

It wasn't until I got to the end that I saw the newspaper clipping of a fire that I realized my vision had started to blur from the unshed tears that had gathered from the far happier boy I had seen in those pictures. The newspaper depicted two burned skeletons one inside the house, the other outside… I didn't need to see or read more. I gave them to Sarah and did my best not to start crying in front of all those people.

It didn't take long though for Michael to ruin this moment. As soon as he got the pictures, he graced them with a single look and scoffed. "You call this trash proof? It could be fabricated for all we know!" With that, he grabbed them at the sides to rip them apart, only to stop when the blade of a sword was suddenly pressed against his armored suit's throat, a vulnerable place, provided you had the right weapon.

"Which is why we will analyse them further to make sure we weren't fooled. You will not tamper with evidence nor his memories of his family. Or would you like us to desecrate the few pictures you have of Aliccia?" Zuriel told him coldly, and took them from his hands. "Samuel, you will get these photos back, even in the event that you should be declared guilty. But first we will run some tests to validate your claims… if that is alright. If not, we cannot accept this proof."

"Do what you must, but don't damage them as much as you can avoid it." Samuel stated, making his humble request sound equal parts grateful for Zuriel's intervention and pleading for the sanctity of his few precious memories forever immortalized as they were. More than a few of the Crusaders looked moved already by the simple request, and Zuriel nodded slowly in complete understanding.

"We will do our best, I promise you. For now continue your story, of both the initial infiltration and what changed."

And so Samuel began his tale, how he, driven by hatred, sought to kill the ones responsible to make them feel even a tenth of the pain they had caused him. And when he heard that the Society of Leopold was the largest hunter organization in existence, he decided that it was his best chance at finding the ones responsible. His skills and iron determination made him the ideal recruit as well as a candidate for the Paladin initiative. Still driven by hatred, he tried to find the ones responsible by using every bit of information he could find.

That was until one final day. "I remember it well, for it was our first mission together. I got wounded when we extracted the intel. And you refused to leave me behind even though it would have been the smarter choice. Even when I offered you the chance to leave, you stayed by my side. It was this moment that I recognized that not all hunters were vile and cruel monsters." He told them, a bittersweet smile on his face as he looked down at the ground. "Of course, it was only the beginning. Following that night, Aliccia decided to take care of me… to make sure that my injuries healed without complication, and we bonded during that time. Nothing romantic mind you, at least not yet. In time though she saw the deep hatred and darkness within me, but instead of being repulsed by it, she did her best to heal me of it."

None of them said anything in response, only Michael's gnashing teeth could be heard. The rest ignored his antics though a small part of me began to understand one of Samuel's earlier remarks. About how no one could hate you as much as someone who once loved you. And given that Samuel claimed that they once had been as close as brothers, it didn't take a lot of imagination to guess who it was that taught him that lesson.

"To make a very long story short, we fell in love, as Michael was and still is well aware, hell, I think everyone of you knew that we had something. Anyway, I knew that Aliccia was into this business because she truly believed that vampires were nothing but monsters and she wanted to protect the innocent from them. I'm biased, I know this, but she was pure of heart and did nothing out of malice, she only wanted to help others." He paused at that and gulped heavily. "That said I couldn't lie to her any longer. So I told her the truth, and naturally she at first refused to believe me, but I convinced her to accompany me to one of the clubs in the city. There are always vampires there. Together we had no trouble spotting several of them. But none of them killed anyone, sure some of them fed, but no one died from that. If anything, a couple of them made sure their partners were taken care of before leaving them to recover. Others merely were there to have fun. At the end of the night her convictions were shaken and I told her my whole story, while swearing to never seek revenge in my life again. I originally did so to calm her, but I later realized I also saved myself by doing so."

"But that is not all, is it?" Zuriel pressed on, thoughts and emotions hidden beneath armor and a mask far more impenetrable than her armor ever could be.

"No, it's not." Samuel sighed heavily before he pressed onward. Telling even that much of his story had left the former hunter looking noticeably older than he normally did. "We snuck out a couple of times after that, she even went so far as to talk to some of the vampires… without revealing our nature of course. And in the end, found them not to be so different from the humans around them. Granted, we came across some vampires that weren't so friendly, but they were few and far between. It was then when she decided that she could no longer kill Kindred indiscriminately, she wanted to leave the Society of Leopold."

"Lies! It was your idea from the very start!" Michael screamed at him and stomped forward only for Mitchell and Darra to hold him back.

"We are not yet finished, your own testimony will come in time." Zuriel told him coolly, and looked at him. "Now start acting worthy of the armor you wear, or I'll remove it from you myself. Bit by bit."

Michael growled a curse but stopped fighting the two holding him to the spot. Mitchell and Darra made it a point to stand close to his side from that point onward once he had stomped back to his original spot against the wall. It just made it more readily apparent they were siding with Samuel, with us, at least for the moment. I most certainly couldn't complain about their willingness to hear us out.

"Go on." Zuriel ordered Samuel, as she returned to her usual stoic figure.

"This may sound cliche, but we wanted to run away together. To live our lives together no matter what happened. Free from all those lies that had surrounded her. Yet we knew that we couldn't abandon the supernatural world completely. For Aliccia's heart would never have been able to bear the thought of innocents dying for nothing. Especially not when her friends would become their murderers. So we planned to escape together, and take Michael with us. She was convinced that he would believe her, he was her brother after all. After we would have gathered proof we would have returned for you guys but… the night we wanted to disappear, a bunch of other hunters appeared from outside our little branch. They hunted us, I only escaped because Aliccia pushed me down a slope. She didn't get as far as I did. Which is why I infiltrated the Society a second time. To find her… but I only found records of her execution for her supposed heresy. Imagine my surprise when her brother, who was meant to flee with us, was commended for his loyalty to the cause. Because he was the one that had betrayed us."

All eyes fell on Michael then, and to make matters worse, Samuel pulled out a USB drive from his suit's vest pocket. Handing it over to Zuriel, she promptly handed it over to another of the group, Ben if I recalled correctly. He accepted the drive, plugged it into his right gauntlet, and a holographic display appeared over his arm. I was equal parts impressed and struck dumb by just how much tech they had managed to squeeze into their armor, but what he pulled up for everyone to see had the mood shift in a heartbeat. "Son of a bitch." Ben's succinct exclamation summed up everyone's collective thoughts quite nicely.

"Michael… your testimony is no longer required." Zuriel told him in the same cool tone as before. "It seems you have already given the inquisition one, which I am currently reading. Interesting enough, it matches most of Samuel's story, save for the parts you were unaware of."

"What did you expect me to do? Let him ruin my sister? Let him ruin all of us?" Michael demanded hotly and growled. "And now what? You say that he isn't guilty of betraying us? Is that it?"

"No." Zuriel said simply. "In fact, he has gone as far as to admit that he is guilty of said crimes." I wanted to protest, but she went on. "However… given the newly discovered evidence, I have to say that his actions seem… justified."

"Justified? _Justified_?! Are you even listening to yourself? _He_ is the reason my sister is dead, you heartless bitch!" Michael ranted, which of course didn't earn him any favours with the rest of his colleagues.

"Step out of your armor. Now." Zuriel ordered him coldly, and before he had the chance to retort she went on. "You are so certain that your faith was not misplaced? Very well, we shall determine who is right like in ancient times. Both of you will fight one another, on equal terms. I am certain God will grant the one who is right victory."

"Fine, I'll accept your trial by combat." Michael growled before slapping his hand onto his chest. Depressing a hidden switch on his chest plate, or his armored glove, or some other mechanism, I wasn't sure, the armor folded away and opened up like a gunmetal gray flower. Michael ripped off his helmet and let it fall to the floor with a heavy thud before he hopped out of his rig, his arms crossed over his burly chest. He was big, inside his armor and out of it, and while he wasn't like the Gangrel russian man from the rave, he was still intimidating.

He had pitch black hair as well as light green eyes, that stared at Samuel with pure hatred. Samuel for his part looked more collected but there was no hiding the resentment he felt for the man before him. And who could blame him? From the sounds of it, he had had something special with this man's sister, something that under the right circumstances could have been fairytale material. Yet the blind faith of this man had taken all of that from him. To be honest, my own relationship with Eliza seemed rather childish in comparison to the loyalty and love he felt for a woman long since dead, and the true admiration he spoke of her was more than enough to convince me of her character.

"I won't kill him." Samuel stated simply, and shook his head. "I swore to her that I would never seek vengeance again. I don't intend on breaking that oath."

"You don't have to kill him." Zuriel assured him quietly. "As far as I am concerned, you are already a free man. I just hope that perhaps after this, he'll get a chance to heal."

"I wouldn't count on it." Sarah muttered softly to the point only I heard it before turning her head to glare daggers at Michael. "I know his type. You watch, he'll try to fight dirty if he loses. Oh I hope he fights dirty." She growled, and despite the fact her hands were bound, she still managed to crack her knuckles in eager anticipation.

Samuel merely nodded at Zuriel and took a step towards Michael, discarding his jacket as he did so. Both of them now stood there topless showing their equally impressive physique even if Michael was nowhere near as heavily scarred as Samuel. The rest of the Crusaders moved to the sides of the room to give them space to truly fight one another. At some unspoken signal, they charged each other with equal speed and strength. Vampire hunters are supernatural creatures in their own right, so it was no surprise that they hit with the force of trucks, but to see them attack each other, that was something else.

Despite Michael's rage and anger directed at Samuel, he fought smartly, for a man of his immense size. But Samuel was slender as a willow wand, and moved just as gracefully, far more so than the heavy handed brawler he was up against. They dodged each other's attacks, tested one another's defenses, clashed and jumped back again. Michael preferred to just block incoming hits while Samuel dodged with the same elegance he had displayed against the Ventrue. Each of their attacks was meant to deal tremendous damage and I had no doubt that if they were to connect with their intended target, they would cause massive damage and pain even in a vampire.

But so far, neither of them managed to gain such an advantage. That was until Michael's fist shot out like a cobra and hit Samuel on the right side. The sound alone was painful enough for me but Samuel didn't show any pain aside from a grimace as he spun to the side due to the hit. Michael, deciding to press the advantage, stormed forward only to be the one to grimace in pain as Samuel suddenly sidestepped his charge and kicked him in the back of his knee. Forced to the ground, Michael barely had time to respond when Samuel jumped and slammed his fist into the back of the giant's head, ringing his bell pretty hard in the process. While down, he wasn't out, and Michael groaned as he clutched at his head with one meaty hand. "Still favor that shit from Troy I see." He growled, commenting on the jump punch he had delivered to Michael's head. It seemed Achilles was a hero to our dear Samuel, who knew.

"It gets the job done." Samuel merely replied as Michael had already rolled out of reach before he had the chance to put him in a choke hold.

Michael merely glared in response before charging once again, even to my eyes their movements seemed to become blurry as they attacked each other with ever growing ferocity. If I had been the one fighting, I would have been dead long ago, even Sarah seemed impressed but considering that these guys were supposed to be a few steps over your common hunters I wasn't too surprised by that.

I was shaken out of my thoughts when Michael grabbed Samuel in his grip and threw him against the nearest wall. While winded, he was far from out as he got to his feet and cast a dark glare at Michael. In that glare was something I had never seen in Samuel before, a deep underlying darkness. Michael charged again and swung his fist, Samuel didn't dodge or block it outright but rather redirected the hit against the wall behind him. The short lived pain Michael was distracted by was all Samuel needed as he started his counter attack.

His hand began to strike every weak point he could reach on his opponent's torso, including nerve clusters preventing Michael from recovering as Samuel continued his attack. He was relentless and merciless, hitting some nerves so hard that Michael had trouble breathing due to the paralyzing effects of his strikes. Another strike hit his throat, making him gasp for air even more. Samuel though didn't stop, he grabbed his left arm, and twisted it brutally to the side. The horrendous breaking of bone was audible to everyone, as Michael let out a strangled scream of pain from the shattering of more than a few bones in his arm. Samuel lifted his right leg, about to bring his foot down on his opponent's knee, the cold and dark look on his face was something I never wanted to see again.

"Stop!" I screamed, afraid of what would happen otherwise, afraid that Samuel would do something he would regret and to be honest, I'd be afraid of Samuel. His attack stopped mid strike as the dark look slowly left his eyes, leaving them only cold and calculating before that disappeared as well. He let go of Michael's shattered arm, and took a step back, breathing heavily more out of shock than exhaustion I guessed.

I breathed a massive sigh of relief, and sagged against Sarah while the Brujah simply stood still. I felt the subtle nod she gave the hunter, even though I'm pretty sure that she wouldn't have been so lenient in beating down the son of a bitch.

As for Samuel, while he had returned to his senses, he was still angry, understandably so as he glared hatefully down at his former ally and brother in arms. "You called them monsters Michael. Well they didn't teach me how to kill a man in more than a dozen different ways with my bare hands! They didn't teach me how to get inside their head, they didn't teach me how to utterly break an enemy's spirit if necessary. No those things I learned in the society, so tell me... who is the real monster here? Huh? You would do well to remember that one of those monsters just saved you." While his words were meant for Michael for the most part, I could see that the rest of the Crusaders were similarly affected by what had just transpired, partly because of my cry for Samuel to stop before he returned to being something he'd been long ago.

"In conclusion of the previous interrogation, and of this fight, I vote for the freedom of Samuel, and his allies." Zuriel announced loud and clear and looked at those under her command. "All those who agree, raise your right hand."

All raised their right hand, except for Michael of course as he slowly shook off the pain in his left arm and glared at Samuel with unchanged hatred. Sarah was right, he wouldn't change, I didn't need Auspex to see that. If I wasn't still upset, I'd almost feel pity for the fool, but then something occurred to me. He and Samuel weren't so different, not at all honestly. Samuel could have just as easily become the very thing he had beaten into submission. But he hadn't, and I think I could thank Aliccia for that. Which made the whole ordeal all the more tragic, she saved one man only to lose her brother to the same darkness.

What happened next was expected by Sarah at the very least, but the sheer speed in which it happened was astounding. One moment Michael was down on the ground, in the next, he had drawn a knife from behind his back, and jumped at Samuel, only for a sword to pierce his lungs and chest, cutting right through the aorta. I hadn't seen any of them move, I could only stare at the result in shock. Zuriel looked at Michael through her faceplate, perhaps with sadness if her tone was any indication. "Once you were a better man, but you lost your way… may you find it again in the next life." Even if he didn't drown in his own blood from having his lungs punctured, Michael wouldn't have been long for this world with the main artery in his chest having been cut apart as it'd been. As it was, he only gurgled something unintelligible before he slumped on Zuriel's blade. Samuel looked away from the scene, unable to look at what had become of his 'brother'.

"Don't feel guilty for his death, it was of his own making. If anything, I'm the one responsible." Zuriel told him with the same cool and collected tone Samuel used when he entered 'combat mode'.

"And yet I can't help but feel responsible. I made him choose between Aliccia, me and his faith… perhaps if I had been able to let go of her. I fear my inner darkness might have tainted her radiant light." Samuel said heavily, deep in thought and no doubt in memories of a time where he and Michael were all but inseparable. When Darra put a heavy, gauntleted hand on his shoulder, Samuel looked up, a little surprised by the gesture.

"Get your head out of your ass Davies, Richard, or whoever the fuck you are. You saw what he was, we all did, yet we did nothing. So stop wallowing in shit you can't change, alright? Damn, and I thought Roland was a self flagellating asshat."

"Thank you for saying what I was thinking Darra." Sarah said as her cuffs were undone by Ben.

"No problem, busty vampire chick." Darra retorted with a small chuckle. "Don't think that makes us friends though, I still don't trust you. But… perhaps you aren't as bad as I thought."

"Indeed, but… we'll contact you later regarding your proposition Samuel. I've had enough excitement for one night." Zuriel told him with a shake of her head. "The next time we meet… Michael's suit is yours for the taking if you wish. The spoils of victory if you will."

"Thanks, but I always preferred melee, same as you." Samuel replied, although I think it was more the simple fact that he just didn't feel right taking what had once belonged to someone that he had held in such high esteem.

"True, which undoubtedly contributed in your victory. Farewell, Samuel. And may your nights be less bloody than this one… though given the nature of you two, I doubt it." Zuriel stated, and I could swear there was a hint of tired humor in her voice as she addressed Sarah and myself.

"Not so bad yourself for crazy zealots." Sarah said with a chuckle. "So, anyone going to send us home anytime soon? This whole thing made me pretty damn horny."

"I- uh- I'll see what I can do." Mitchell stuttered and left the room as fast as he could without shredding the last of his dignity. It didn't take long for him to return with Peter, the masked mage, who took one look at us and the mess left from the recently deceased Michael before he shook his head sadly.

"Had a bad feeling this would be the result when you sent that message buddy." Peter said as he rubbed the back of his magically disguised head. "Sorry to see I was right, I knew you guys were close back in the day."

"We were." Samuel said simply not looking at the corpse of his enemy. "Just get us out of here, I've had enough of this place for one night."

With a nod of his faceless head, Peter lifted his arms, and we disappeared from that old factory building, only to appear right next to the fountain where we had waited for them earlier tonight. With one last nod, the mage disappeared, wasting no more words on us, although I think he just wanted to give us space, having his own means to analyze a person's mood that wasn't so dissimilar from my own. Currently though, I was once again battling the feeling of nausea, I was starting to truly hate teleportation. A dislike that is still with me to this day I might add. It's just so….ugh.

"Well, at least they didn't kill us." Samuel said tonelessly, eyes staring into the night sky, his mind light years away. Sarah said nothing as she wrapped her arms around him, one hand resting against the back of his head while the other found its way against the small of his back. It wasn't long before I was joining the hug as Samuel slowly broke down, fat, crocodile tears falling from his gray eyes. I can count the number of times he's cried on one hand, at least since I've known him anyway.

This was one of the rare times where he allowed his self control to slip and just let go of his emotions. Samuel is many things, kind, determined, stubborn on occasion, patient but beneath all that, he is sad. Samuel is the saddest person I've ever met. And it was difficult for me to see him like this, wanting to much to help him while at the same time knowing that I couldn't. Still, at least we were there to support him at all for a change, and while it broke my heart then to see him finally just let go, it also felt nice to be able to return the favor for once. To be there for him as he'd been there for me since day one. Furthermore, it showed us just how much he trusted us, since he never would have let his emotions slip free around people he didn't trust, so it was also uplifting to know that he trusted me enough to show me his weaknesses.

We left the park shortly after Samuel had pulled himself together, and while he was unusually quiet, neither me or Sarah blamed him for his silence as we drove back to Juliet's home. It was only after we had pulled up to the driveway and saw the Malkavian waiting for us did he manage a small smile at last. "Thanks….for what you did back there you two."

"You would have done the same, you _did_ even more for me." I told him with a small smile of my own, hoping I managed to hide my own sadness from him. I was sad on behalf of him, I guess you could say, and after all I had heard, I was almost afraid to learn more of his life, for little in his life seemed not to end in tragedy and sorrow. But that was the last of the big revelations about Samuel's past, the rest were far smaller and less significant by far in comparison. Aliccia, what she had meant to him, what she had meant to him and Michael both, was the one thing I hadn't known about him that could hurt him even now.

I was drawn out of my thoughts when Samuel blew out a weary, long breath before he started to climb out of the van that had become an almost permanent fixture with us. Our own personal 'Mystery Machine', making us the Kindred version of the Scooby Gang. The thought rang hollow though as Samuel started to speak again. "They'll check the pictures now… just to be thorough. If they think I lied to them, they would hunt me down and kill me, they know they can… aside from that, I'll have to ask them what they want here. And if they are willing to not hate us." Despite his analytical tone he still seemed rather depressed and vulnerable no matter how much he tried to hide it.

"No point in worrying about it now. Besides, where you go, we go." Sarah stated so adamantly that Samuel looked over his shoulder just as she leaned between the seats, her hand falling on his arm. "If they can't see what's right in front of them, like d-….like Michael, then they aren't worth the effort." I think she wanted to say something far more hostile about the man, but for once, Sarah held herself in check. Brujah and unafraid to share her thoughts as she was, she wasn't insensitive when it mattered. Samuel gave her a small smile in response and caressed her cheek.

"And how do you feel? Knowing that after all this time I still love a woman long since dead… and that I yearn to reunite with her in time?"

Sarah only smirked sadly but shrugged. "You wouldn't be the first, nor the last. 'Sides, if half of what I heard about Aliccia's true, and not just exaggeration, I owe her for who you are now Sammy. I can live with competing with a ghost." She quipped ever so slightly, but the look in her red eyes said something else entirely. That she wasn't about to give up on Samuel, even if she had to indeed compete with said ghost for his affections in that time and place.

"It wasn't and while I love her more than life itself… I love you as well. It doesn't seem to make sense, I know but you are the first woman I've felt a connection of this sort to since she… left." He told her, and it sounded like he was ashamed, ashamed of making Sarah feel inadequate or the like. But Sarah's answer was direct and to the point as I made it a point to get out of the van. I didn't need Auspex to know what was about to happen next.

Sarah lived up to expectations as she blinked several times before drawing Samuel in for a searing, passionate kiss that lasted a fair bit longer than I think he was prepared for. When they came up for air….rather when Samuel was forced to come up for air, Sarah's grin had long since disappeared. For the first time in a long while, I think she had forgone her 'tough girl' act completely. We were seeing her as she'd been before being made into a vampire. "I don't give a damn, Samuel. I just care that you're here, now, and if it you hold onto her for the rest of your life, that's fine. Just save room for me, that's all I ask."

"Always…" He said with a grateful smile and hugged her tightly. "You are one of the few good things in my life… and I cherish those close to me. I can promise you that."

"Oh, you really have a way with words bad boy… I wonder if you have a way with something else as well." That should have set my alarm bells off like there was no tomorrow, but unfortunately for me I wasn't in the right mind to pay attention to the innuendo at the moment. Before I knew what was happening, Samuel and her had gotten out of the van, and had raced for the front of Juliet's house with all speed.

"Juliet will go out for the rest of the night… you wanna accompany her?" The Malkavian offered me, since she knew what was about to happen. Unfortunately I was still too dumb to understand what was happening in front of my eyes.

"No, I had enough excitement for the night. I am gonna just read something on your couch or something like that." I said as I started for the front door with Juliet just shaking her head at my ignorance.

"As the little bird wishes… brace yourself."

 _Huh?_ Was my confused thought at that as Juliet walked off into the night. With a shrug, I stepped into the house, closed the door and made my way to the couch. With a satisfied sigh, I let myself fall down on its soft texture, happy to be back home, so to speak. But a sudden noise had me opening my eyes in alarm. It sounded like thumping? And… moaning? _No, no no no no, that can't be happening._ I couldn't believe my ears. Needless to say, I was off the couch and out the door in record time. Beckett, having just started to open the door, could only blink at my rapid departure before he too noticed the rhythmic thumping coming from the upstairs bedroom. Understanding lit up his face and he just laughed and shook his head before shutting the door and following after me, transforming into a wolf in mid step as he did.

Let me say up front that, I don't know who started the rumor that we Kindred can't physically enjoy the act of sexual intercourse, but I can tell you, with certainty, that that was a bald faced lie. Sarah proved that time and time and time and… you get the point. And the worst part? My kinda best friend and my sorta big brother got busy… often… like _really_ often, makes for some awkward situations, believe me.

 **End Notes:** _ **Vergil1989:**_ _White Wolf, eat your heart out. That was my little snub against their lackluster logic regarding certain aspects of Kindred physiology. Granted, I can understand that the organs are atrophied and don't work anymore as a whole because of what they are, essentially being giant blood bags, until they dry up unless they feed again of course, but they can still feel pain, they can still taste blood on their tongue, feel the wind on their face, etc, yet they can't feel….pleasure? Do you see the problem with this yet?_

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _While the bodily functions themselves might not work, the muscles still do, they still send and receive signals from the brain, and so that aspect is still very much 'alive', so to speak. Anyway, that's not the important part. The important part was the stuff before that, with the back story, the fight, the blood and death, the emotions and stuff. I hope we made it clear enough that while the Crusaders have doubts, they aren't about to just trust those they had fought against for so long. To do so would be unrealistic, wouldn't you agree?_

 _ **Vergil1989:**_ _Indeed, and besides, we got a pretty good glimpse of what Samuel used to be, as well as who he is now in comparison. That and it just helps to build character for everyone involved, now that that part of his life is somewhat resolved, but not forgotten, or over with as you might expect. They'll be back, but the question remains, who's side will they be on? Read on to find out, but for the moment, we hope you've enjoyed the story so far folks and that we see you all again. Adios!_

 _ **Nomad-117:**_ _Indeed, and we welcome all your reviews, gives us an idea what you think about our little madness here. Until next time folks. See you!_


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